Summer Book Picks 2018

We are big believers in students being able to choose the books they read. Our classrooms are overflowing with choices and we give total freedom to our students. Often times we have parents and even colleagues who want recommendations. We have dozens! So we compiled some favorites for a summer list. 

Please know there are many more amazing reads out there! Hit the libraries, swap with friends, visit an indie bookstore such as Scrawl Books or find a Little Free Library near you.  Whatever you do...read!!

Making Friends with Change

Change. Not my favorite word. But it’s a word I had to tackle at the end of this school year, and we aren’t done wrestling yet. My friend and colleague of 27 years retired, my awesome principal took a job elsewhere, we have a new superintendent coming in, and as usual, I had to say goodbye to my students of 10 months. That’s a lot... isn’t it?

Though I crave the freedom of summer: turning off the alarm, traveling, and taking trips to the bathroom whenever I want, my mind still wanders to fall. How will I survive without my steadfast teaching soul mate? What if we get a principal like the soup Nazi on Seinfeld? (“No dress down days for you!”) Will the new superintendent do what’s best for our school system?

Change is about acceptance. No matter how much I worry or complain, nothing will go back to the way it was. Another school year will come and I’ll welcome it with open arms. Yikes! Right now my arms are crossed which means I have a ton of work to do. But maybe change isn’t just about acceptance. Maybe it’s about rejuvenating so you can have the strength to accept the changes. Since acceptance isn’t coming easily for me, I’m going to start with rejuvenation.

First, I’m going to spend as much time as possible in pajamas. Even if I’m doing laundry, paying bills, or cleaning the house, I’m having multiple dress down days at home! (Hey, my next principal might not give us any.)

Next, I’m going to read a book I’ve been saving - THE CREATIVITY PROJECT, edited by Colby Sharp.

It’s about originality, imagination, and sparks of all kinds. It’s written by the authors and illustrators we celebrate in our classrooms. I’m certain it will freshen my mind and inspire dozens of ideas for the 2018-2019 school year.

While I’m reading, I’m going to drink fun drinks like this one.

I’m going to sip slowly, maybe even take an hour per drink to make up for the rushed lunches I normally have. I’m going to go on long walks and use that time to reflect on the luck I’ve had in my teaching career. I’ve been surrounded by kind, hard-working people, and I’ve been lead by some of the best principals. I’m pretty sure I’ve laughed every day. Kids will do that for you.

Finally, I’ll start working on acceptance. The shifts are coming and darn it, I WILL shift too. I WILL open my mind to the thought that maybe luck will continue its presence at school. I WILL brainstorm ways to make my classroom an easy adjustment for my next group of students who will also be facing change. I WILL try my best. I WILL try my best. I MIGHT spike my fun drinks.

Change and I aren’t friends yet. We may never be. But I’m armed with comfy pjs, a book, and a drink. I can do this. I think.

Ann Marie Stephens
Twitter: AMStephens_

Ariel Bernstein Has a Balloon, We Have an Interview

We would like to welcome Ariel Bernstein to our blog. I first met Ariel at an SCBWI conference many years ago. She was kind, talented, and had an awesome book in the works called, I HAVE A BALLOON. Since then she’s landed more book deals, consistently supported her kidlit friends, all while raising two kids. Read on to find out about her publishing experience and one really weird, yet awesome, fact about her! Thanks, Ariel!

AMS/ER: Tell us three things about yourself: One funny, one weird, and one interesting. 

AB: Funny – I still have a baby tooth. I usually forget until I have my dentist cleaning and it’s commented on.
Weird – I can count the letters in a group of words almost automatically. So if someone says “Tell us three things about yourself” I know all those letters add up to 30 right away. Weird, right?
Interesting – Not to brag, but I make the best dessert in the history of dessert. It’s called cottage pudding, and it’s the easiest thing ever. You cut up pound cake into small cubes, mix them with a ton of whipped cream, and then mix in all sorts of berries. I guess someone might prefer a different dessert, but I don’t trust those people. 

AMS/ER: How did you break into the publishing world? 

AB: I broke in through the slush pile. I spent time querying, signed with my agent Mary Cummings, and she submitted my stories to editors. Sounds straight forward but there were the usual stumbles and heartbreaks along the way!

AMS/ER: Where do you like to write? 

AB: I like to write on either the loveseat in my living room or the couch in my den. They’re pretty comfy ☺

AMS/ER: Why an owl and a monkey?

AB: At first I thought of two frogs, but quickly discarded that idea. I went into my children’s rooms to find inspiration for different characters by looking at their stuffed animals. I found an owl doll and a Curious George doll. I thought the idea of a calm, rational owl, and an energetic monkey would go together pretty well!

AMS/ER: What is your next book? Tell us a little about it.

AB: The first two books in my chapter book series, WARREN & DRAGON, illustrated by the awesome Mike Malbrough, are coming out on August 28, 2018 (Viking Children’s). It’s about a dreamy seven-year old boy named Warren and Dragon, his vain dragon companion.

AMS/ER: If you could have lunch with a children’s book author or illustrator whom would you choose and why?

AB: I once heard Rita Garcia-Williams give a wonderful speech at a conference. I’d love to sit down and listen to her talk over lunch and ask about her incredible career.

AMS/ER: What are you working on now?

AB: I’m working on books three and four of the WARREN & DRAGON series!

Questions our first grade students think all authors should answer:

First Graders: How do you concentrate?

AB: It can be hard but I just make myself sit and write. I usually put my cell phone in another room.

First Graders: How do you think of great ideas?

AB: All you have to do is find the most inconvenient time to think of a great idea – like in the middle of driving or taking a shower – and voila! An incredible idea will pop into your head that you won’t be able to write down. You’ll hope against hope you’ll remember it by the time you can access a pencil.

First Graders: Why did you become an author?

AB: I like making up stories and hearing that people find them funny, so that’s pretty good motivation.

First Graders: How did you get famous?

AB: I’m not sure I’m quite on the ‘famous’ level yet, so I’ll let you know when I get there how it happened!

Random Acts of Kindness Day

Did you know February 17th is Random Acts of Kindness Day??

When we discovered this last year we knew it had to be the theme of our February bulletin board.

To get our kids thinking about kindness, we read books like What Does It Mean To Be Kind? and One Good Deed. Then we had them write their own random act of kindness (RAK). They were filled with energy as they began brainstorming their ideas. When they settled on one they loved, they wrote in down and we added it to the board. Some students even needed an extra page to fit the details of their plan.

We compiled a list of their ideas that could be done at school and I added some extras. After some intense Pinterest and Google searching I felt our list was complete. Then I created a “Random Acts of Kindness Bingo” board with items that I knew our class would complete or knew would be easily accomplished individually. (Here's the Word version if you'd like to edit it.) Each student got a board and glued the squares on randomly so that they wouldn’t all be the same. Whenever a student got a Bingo, we all applauded for their acts of kindness (no award was given because we’re focusing on kindness, not winning).

We got compliments from adults all day who were impressed with our RAKs. When kids discovered the RAKs we’d hidden or left anonymously they’d look around with smiles on their faces. My class could not have been any more proud of themselves. I also noticed that RAKs continued to appear in my classroom long after February 17th.

Here are a few of the Random Acts of Kindness that we completed:
-Smile and wave quietly to someone you don’t know.
-Write something kind on a sticky note. Hide it inside the cover of a book in the library.
-Use chalk to write positive messages on the sidewalk. (This was a real crowd pleaser!)
-Say hi to someone new on the playground.
-Make a bookmark for someone in another class.
-Write a kindness poem.
-Hold the door open for someone.
-Pick up someone else’s trash.
-Ask someone who’s struggling if they’d like help.
-Make a friendship bracelet. (We did this as a whole class and each student put a bead on everyone’s bracelet.)
-Put a picture of each student in the middle of a piece of paper. Go around writing something nice about your classmates on their papers.

How will you celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day?

All You Need is Love (And a Break From Testing!)

Whew! January is finally over and we couldn’t be happier. The month was full of tests, tests, and more tests! (Erin loves data and all the charts and tables that come along with it and even she is thrilled that it’s over!) Now that February is here we are celebrating with a new bulletin board.

The crafty part is pretty simple. We used hand and heart patterns. The students cut out the hands and folded two fingers down to make the sign for “I love you.” They did not crease the paper, which created a rounded, more natural look for the fingers. Then they cut out the hearts, glued them onto the hands and wrote about something that they love. We even used this as an opportunity to practice working on synonyms and ended up with sentences with words like “cherish,” “treasure,” and “appreciate.”

Next, we made our class poem centerpiece using this writing frame.

The kids threw out ideas and we worked together to chose the ones we thought sounded amazing. We even combined ideas. To make the board interactive we made individual copies of our writing frame to hang in a pocket. We posted quick and easy instructions on the outside of the pocket. Any student or staff member in our school can take a copy, compose a poem, and return it to us. Then, we’ll hang the poems all around the board, spreading love and poetry for all to see. It’s been an inspiring way to move on from testing. 

**On a quick side note, our team came up with a creative idea that I LOVED. After we hung up the poem on our white poster board heart we felt it was entirely too plain. We thought that adding polka dots could make it cuter but debated on what color would be best so it wouldn’t clash with the other things on our board. We ended up using…. leftover border! We used a round craft punch to make circles that matched the board perfectly. Now this may be old news to some, but I think it’s brilliant!

Enginerds, Robots, and Farts!

Have you ever met an author online and had an instant connection because he is hilarious, brilliant, and extremely generous with his praise for other authors? I have and his name is Jarrett Lerner. This amazing guy recently released his book, ENGINERDS. Mysterious boxes, creative kids, and farting robots will make you laugh hard enough to snort, as you turn page after quick-paced page. We were thrilled when Jarrett agreed to answer some questions for our blog. Read on to find out more about his process. You may even snatch up some free writing advice!

AMS/ER: People say authors write what they know. Why robots?

JL: It’s true that some people say, “Write what you know,” but there are other people who say, “Rules are meant to be broken.” For certain writers, writing what you don’t know is often more fruitful – not to mention more fun! I had no idea what might happen if one day a mysterious box with a robot inside of it showed up on a kid’s doorstep. By writing that story, I found out.

AMS/ER: How do you think of great ideas?

JL: I don’t know where ideas come from – if I did, I’d be there right now, scooping up as many of them as I could! What I do know, however, is that my best ideas always come to me when I’m doing three things:

The first is reading. The best way to get your brain looking for ideas of its own is to expose it to the ideas of others.

The second thing is exploring. I don’t mean you have to go on a trip to a faraway land or have some dangerous adventure. You can explore every second of every day, even if you’re just going to school and eating dinner with your family, simply by being present and observant, keeping aware, and using all of your senses.

The third thing is dreaming, and that’s when you let your ideas and your experiences dance to the unique tune of your own imagination. It’s when you sit around and just let your mind wander and wonder.

Do these three things – read, explore, and dream – and soon enough you’ll have more ideas than you know what to do with.

AMS/ER: Where did the idea for ENGINERDS come from?

JL: Like I said, I don’t know exactly where my ideas come from. But when it comes to EngiNerds, I’ve got a guess.

Here are two facts about me: I like to read about robots and I’m always getting packages in the mail. Usually the boxes are full of books or pet food or art supplies. One day, perhaps after reading about robots, I was picking up a box off my porch when I thought, “Hey. What if it wasn’t pet food in here. What if it was a robot?”

Once I’d asked myself that, about a billion more what if? questions popped into my head. I was so curious to find out the answers to them all that I wrote a whole book to do so.

AMS/ER: Were you or are you still an EngiNerd?

JL: An EngiNerd is someone who is curious about the world around them, who is interested in how things work, and who every now and again likes to get their hands dirty and make something. So yes – I’m definitely an EngiNerd!

AMS/ER: Where do you like to write?

JL: I write anywhere and everywhere. Sometimes it’s on my couch with my cat on my lap. Sometimes it’s in my bed with my wife snoring beside me. Sometimes it’s in my study, surrounded by all my favorite books. Sometimes it’s on a train or a plane or in a hotel or a café.

I don’t like to limit myself to one spot, because then if I can’t actually be in that spot I can still “get in the zone” and write. I also find that some places are better for some kinds of writing, while other places are better for other kinds of writing.

AMS/ER: Did you want a robot as a kid?

JL: Of course I did! Who wouldn’t want a robot?! I still want one – as long as it doesn’t eat all the food in my house and fart speeding food cubes at me, that is…

AMS/ER: Why not radishes?

JL: Because whether we try to or not, we always leave an imprint of ourselves on what we create. Also, I just thought it was funny – which is the reason I write a lot of the things I write!

AMS/ER: What is your dream food cube?

JL: My dream food cube would contain a couple dozen banoffee pies and a carton or two of cold milk.

AMS/ER: How long did it take you to write ENGINERDS?

JL: I wrote the first draft of EngiNerds very quickly – but then wrote another draft, and then another draft, and then another draft. Then my agent read it and made me write another draft. Then my editor read it and made me write another, and another, and another. Then my copy-editor read it and had me do it all over again…

Writing a book is long and hard, and most of that time is spent revisiting and revising what you’ve already revisited and revised what feels like a million times. A first draft is just you telling yourself the story you have knocking around in your head. Every draft after that is you getting closer and closer to the perfect way to tell everyone else that story.

AMS/ER: What is your next book?

JL: My next book will be a sequel to EngiNerds. I can’t tell you too much about it, but I can say that in it: Kitty becomes obsessed with a very important sock, a rather curious cloud appears in the sky, and a female EngiNerd who might be even smarter than John Henry Knox himself joins the crew. 

Questions our first grade students think all authors should answer:

First Graders: How do you concentrate?

JL: I make sure my stomach is full and my bladder is empty, then I take some deep breaths and try to clear my head. If that doesn’t work, rather than beat myself up about it, I’ll read a little bit or go for a walk, then come back later to whatever it is I was trying to concentrate on before. 

First Graders: Why did you become an author?

JL: I became an author because I can’t get enough of stories. I’ve always loved listening to them and reading them and, soon after I learned to read, I discovered I enjoyed telling them, too. Stories can be exciting, entertaining, and enchanting. They can let you see through the eyes of someone whose life you otherwise might not get to know a single thing about. They allow you to experience things – distant lands, made-up lands, moments both painful and triumphant – by simply moving your eyes across a page and using your imagination.

Stories are magic, and I can’t imagine a better way to spend my time than by bringing a little magic into other people’s lives.

First Graders: How did you become an author?

JL: I read and read and read and wrote and wrote and wrote, then I read some more and wrote some more and then I did it all over again. Eventually I started sharing my stories with others, finding and befriending people who wrote the sorts of things I did, and reaching out to authors to learn what they did in order to get their stories made into books. If you want to become an author, you can do the same: read, write, share, and ask for help.

First Graders: How did you get famous?

JL: Me, famous?! I think not. How about “How did you get where you are today?” That I can answer. I did so by (1) exploring and playing around until I found the things I loved doing most, (2) doing those things as much as I could and as passionately as I could, (3) surrounding myself with other positive, creative, supportive people, and (4) never giving up.

Daddy Depot Author, Chana Stiefel, Dishes the Details on Her Latest Book and Other Writerly Questions

Meet Chana Stiefel, children’s book author. She’s funny and talented and kind enough to be a guest on our blog today. We love her latest book DADDY DEPOT and we are so excited to share her interview here.

AMS/ER: People say authors write what they know. What do you know about swapping daddies? 

CS: LOL! I know that I would never swap my Pop, or my husband. They are terrific dads & get a Lifetime Guarantee. But as DADDY DEPOT points out, no one is perfect. The best dad for you is probably the one you have. (Moms, on the other hands, are perfect in every way. Wink, wink.) 

AMS/ER: How did you get the idea for Daddy Depot?

CS: One night, at bedtime, my daughter (who was seven) was mad at her dad. We spun a story about a girl who returns her father to the Daddy Depot and goes shopping for a new one. After bedtime, I ran downstairs and started writing! Nine years later, it’s a book!

AMS/ER: Why do you think your readers relate to your book?

CS: At some point, every kid realizes that his or her parents aren’t perfect. Parents act goofy in public, they tell bad jokes, sometimes they’re glued to their phones. Despite their benign bad behavior, they give us just what we need & more. It’s a story about unconditional love.

AMS/ER: What’s your favorite joke?

CS: I’m not sure I have a favorite joke (or at least not one I can share here), but I can tell you the first joke I remember: “Why is the barn so noisy? Because the cows have horns!” When I was a kid, I thought that was the funniest thing ever. Don’t know why.

AMS/ER: Can you tell us about your own dad?

CS: I’m thinking about writing a memoir about my dad! He’s a retired plastic surgeon and also an artist--he paints, sculpts, and writes stories and songs. When I was about nine or ten years old, we climbed to the roof of my house (it was a single-story ranch) and poured paint onto a canvass just for fun. (Don’t try this at home, kids!) Right now, my dad is running a sculpture program for kids (he volunteers at a school down the road from his house). Throughout my childhood (and even today), he taught us to care for all human beings, stand up for our beliefs, love nature, and show kindness every day. Here's a picture of me picking olives with my dad in Israel last summer.

AMS/ER: What is your next book coming out? Tell us a little about it.

CS: My next non-fiction book is called ANIMAL ZOMBIES & OTHER MONSTERS IN NATURE (National Geographic Kids, September 2018). Each chapter is about different kinds of “animal monsters.” Animal zombies are parasites that take over the brains of other animals. Animal vampires are critters that suck blood. I’ve also included animal cannibals, monsters of the deep, creatures of the night, and many more. The photos will freak you out!
My next fictional picture book is called WAKAWAKALOCH. It’s a semi-autobiographical story about a cave girl who wants to change her unpronounceable name. That’s coming out from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2019. I saw the cover by illustrator Mary Sullivan and it’s hilarious. Can’t wait to share it! I have a few other books coming up soon!

AMS/ER: What are you working on now?

CS: I’m very excited to be working on two picture book biographies and a very quiet picture book about dealing with loss. AMS: If you could have lunch with any children’s book author whom would you choose and why? CS: Oh wow. This is a tough one! I have so many favorites. Can I cheat and say KatediCamilloMoWillemsKwameAlexanderPatrickMcDonnellJKRowlingRitaWilliamsGarciaandthelateAmyKrouseRosenthal? That’s just my shortlist. They all have inspired me in so many different ways--to follow my heart, pursue my dreams, have fun, play with words, and keep writing!

Questions our first grade students think all authors should answer: 

First Graders: How do you concentrate?

CS: Squirrel! Wait! What was the question? It’s so tough these days to find quiet time to concentrate and write. Last year, I started working in a high school three days a week, so I have much less writing time than I used to. (Did I mention that I’m also the mom of four kids?) The key is to set aside strict times during the day or week, shut off any distractions, and focus. Set small goals and make deadlines: For example, “I need to finish two paragraphs by dinner time.” And then don’t get up from your chair until you’re done! (Unless nature is calling…)

First Graders: How do you think of great ideas?

CS: My ideas come from life! As I mentioned, DADDY DEPOT came from a bedtime story. WAKAWAKALOCH is based on my own hard-to-pronounce name. (It’s a throat-clearing CH like Chanukah +AH +NAH). I also find lots of fun story ideas in the news and in conversation with friends.

First Graders: Why did you become an author?

CS: My third grade teacher, Mrs. Wyman, encouraged me to write. I’ve been publishing ever since! There’s something thrilling about seeing your words transformed into a book. And writing for kids is the greatest gift. My advice is to do what you love and love what you do! (I have that saying on my favorite T-shirt.)

First Graders: How did you get famous?

CS: I’m not! At least I don’t think so. I’m not sure fame is something I want. I enjoy sharing my books with kids, stretching their imaginations, and making them think more deeply about the world around them. The last thing I would want is flashbulbs in my face distracting me from my goals.

Author Bio
Chana Stiefel is the author of more than 20 nonfiction books for kids about exploding volcanoes, stinky castles, and other fun stuff. DADDY DEPOT is her debut picture book. While she would never return her father—or her husband—to the daddy store (she likes their corny jokes too much), she worries that her kids will return her to the Mommy Market. Visit Chana at www.chanastiefel.com and her authors’ blog www.kidlittakeaways.com.