Showing posts with label diversity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diversity. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Book Characters that Brave the Page and Write {book list}

Brave the Page Book Characters that Write letters, books, poems, or songs.  This booklist has biographies (amazing bios), juvenile books, middle grade fiction, classics, award winners, and much more with the BEST Book Characters that write. YA lit, Children's Lit, Alohamora Open a Book Alohamoraopenabook http://alohamoraopenabook.blogspot.com/

All the cool kids talk about NaNoWriMo aka the month of November is National Novel Writing Month.  It's a fun way to look at creative writing.  To go along with the new book Brave the Page, I created a book list for you with AMAZING books that the main character writes letters, novels, poetry, or even raps.  These characters and books should definitely inspire any budding writer to give NaNoWriMo a shot, or at least start creating with the power of words now.  

Brave the Page is an awesome resource with tips, tricks, and inspiration from authors on how to start working on that goal of writing a book. 

Stephen King said, "If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot." 

If you need some writing inspiration, give these books a read.  

Characters/Books that Brave the Page

12 books where the main character or a main character is a writer of books, poetry, poems, songs, letters, published author, and not.  NOn-fiction, fiction, middle grade, ya lit, classics, and more. book list booklist alohamoraopenabook

A beautiful and insightful look into Madeleine L'Engle's life never before seen poetry, letters, and even rejections for publications.  A fabulous biography for anyone interested in writing. 

12 books where the main character or a main character is a writer of books, poetry, poems, songs, letters, published author, and not.  NOn-fiction, fiction, middle grade, ya lit, classics, and more. book list booklist alohamoraopenabook

A group of high school students build friendships and connections as they prepare for a boys vs. girls poetry slam.  This book is written in free verse. 

12 books where the main character or a main character is a writer of books, poetry, poems, songs, letters, published author, and not.  NOn-fiction, fiction, middle grade, ya lit, classics, and more. book list booklist alohamoraopenabook

This classic children's literature book is a must read.  Leigh, a 10 year old boy, writes letters to his favorite author. The writing helps him cope with the challenges he is facing. 

12 books where the main character or a main character is a writer of books, poetry, poems, songs, letters, published author, and not.  NOn-fiction, fiction, middle grade, ya lit, classics, and more. book list booklist alohamoraopenabook

This illustrated novel is such a quick sweet read as a brother writes letters to his sister.  Not only is this book comical, but anyone with a sibling may feel the tugs on their heart.  

12 books where the main character or a main character is a writer of books, poetry, poems, songs, letters, published author, and not.  NOn-fiction, fiction, middle grade, ya lit, classics, and more. book list booklist alohamoraopenabook

 Twinkle, a shy aspiring filmmaker is directing a movie for an upcoming festival.  Her story is told through letters as she learns about love and the challenges of directing a movie. 

12 books where the main character or a main character is a writer of books, poetry, poems, songs, letters, published author, and not.  NOn-fiction, fiction, middle grade, ya lit, classics, and more. book list booklist alohamoraopenabook

Once upon a time there was a girl named Maud who adored stories.  Years later, she ended up not only owning many books, but she wrote 24 books including the Anne of Green Gables series.  

12 books where the main character or a main character is a writer of books, poetry, poems, songs, letters, published author, and not.  NOn-fiction, fiction, middle grade, ya lit, classics, and more. book list booklist alohamoraopenabook

Of course I had to include this classic; classics stand the test of time and they are definitely inspiring.  If you don't recall, Jo, the literary sister, loves to read and write.

12 books where the main character or a main character is a writer of books, poetry, poems, songs, letters, published author, and not.  NOn-fiction, fiction, middle grade, ya lit, classics, and more. book list booklist alohamoraopenabook

Nisha, a 12 year old living in India during the 1947 partition is forced to flee her home.  She tries to make sense of it all by writing to her deceased Muslim mother. 

12 books where the main character or a main character is a writer of books, poetry, poems, songs, letters, published author, and not.  NOn-fiction, fiction, middle grade, ya lit, classics, and more. book list booklist alohamoraopenabook

Bri, a high school student, wants to become a rapper and escape the difficult inner city life she and her family currently have.  The book and the writing is absolutely fantastic.  The  audiobook brings the book and the rapping to life; it's a must listen to.  

12 books where the main character or a main character is a writer of books, poetry, poems, songs, letters, published author, and not.  NOn-fiction, fiction, middle grade, ya lit, classics, and more. book list booklist alohamoraopenabook

Xiomara is constantly writing her frustrations, passions, and everything in between in her leather notebook.  She dreams of participating in a Poetry Slam with her own poems.  This is another must listen to as the author reads it, and she's amazing since she is a Poetry Slam Champion.  

12 books where the main character or a main character is a writer of books, poetry, poems, songs, letters, published author, and not.  NOn-fiction, fiction, middle grade, ya lit, classics, and more. book list booklist alohamoraopenabook

 A book written in free verse (aka a quick and fast read even reluctant readers will enjoy) about love, friendship, sports, and high school.  Noah decides to stop taking a backseat to his life; he decides to Swing and finally make his voice heard.

12 books where the main character or a main character is a writer of books, poetry, poems, songs, letters, published author, and not.  NOn-fiction, fiction, middle grade, ya lit, classics, and more. book list booklist alohamoraopenabook

Lara Jean writes letters to all the boys she has loved.  This book will have you cringing for her, and cheering her one as well.  This light romantic-ish contemporary ya lit is fun to read and there's even a Netflix movie out to watch after. 


Twelve awesome books where a main character writes and expresses him or herself.  Any books I should add to the list???

This book list consists of children's chapter books to adult classics with young adult and juvenile non-fiction biographies making strong appearances as well.  Basically, there is bound to be at least one, if not many, of these books you must read or listen too.  They are fantastic, and who knows... they may just inspire you to participate in NaNoWriMo this year. 
 
If you do participate, you must check out Brave the Page; it's an excellent resource that is fun to read.  

Thank you Penguin Random House for the Brave the Page book to read.  All thoughts on any of the books listed above are mine alone.  

Thursday, April 12, 2018

A Different Pond gets 4.5 Stars {picture book, graphic novel}

A Different Pond by Bao Phi and illustrated by Thi Bui won a Caldecott Honor in 2018.  The book is a beautiful story about family, immigration, father son relationship, and a sweet story.  The almost graphic novel appearance of this picture book is fun to read.  The illustrations are gorgeous with an artsy take.  A great book, and a great addition to any library collection. Great for 2nd grade through 6th grade. picture book, kidlit, award books, read aloud, immigrants. Alohamoraopenabook Alohamora Open a Book http://alohamoraopenabook.blogspot.com/

At first glance, A Different Pond by Bao Phi and illustrated by Thi Bui doesn't seem much to look at.  You may not be incredibly tempted to grab this book off the shelf b/c of the title or the cover.  I know, I wasn't tempted until after it won a Caldecott Honor.   

However, A Different Pond, is a fabulous book!  The story is a sweet story about the author growing up and going fishing with his father in Minnesota.  He and his father would go fishing out of necessity, but the time together was priceless I am sure.   I loved the close family relationship portrayed in this book.  I love the different immigration perspective, and I loved hearing Bao's father share about a different pond in Vietnam he would fish at.   


A Different Pond by Bao Phi and illustrated by Thi Bui won a Caldecott Honor in 2018.  The book is a beautiful story about family, immigration, father son relationship, and a sweet story.  The almost graphic novel appearance of this picture book is fun to read.  The illustrations are gorgeous with an artsy take.  A great book, and a great addition to any library collection. Great for 2nd grade through 6th grade. picture book, kidlit, award books, read aloud, immigrants. Alohamoraopenabook Alohamora Open a Book http://alohamoraopenabook.blogspot.com/

I loved the graphic novel like look but with a more artsy take Thi Bui did for A Different Pond.  The illustrations enhanced the beautiful story.  The combination of a touching, powerful, and educational story with stunning illustrations is why this book earned 4.5 out of 5 stars


A Different Pond by Bao Phi and illustrated by Thi Bui won a Caldecott Honor in 2018.  The book is a beautiful story about family, immigration, father son relationship, and a sweet story.  The almost graphic novel appearance of this picture book is fun to read.  The illustrations are gorgeous with an artsy take.  A great book, and a great addition to any library collection. Great for 2nd grade through 6th grade. picture book, kidlit, award books, read aloud, immigrants. Alohamoraopenabook Alohamora Open a Book http://alohamoraopenabook.blogspot.com/

You need to check this book out.  It'd make a great read diversity read aloud, and a perfect book for an immigration lesson.  Even though it is a clean and touching story I think 2nd grade through 6th grade would be the ideal audience for this book. The story is powerful and eye opening; older readers would gain more from the sweet story.  


A Different Pond by Bao Phi and illustrated by Thi Bui won a Caldecott Honor in 2018.  The book is a beautiful story about family, immigration, father son relationship, and a sweet story.  The almost graphic novel appearance of this picture book is fun to read.  The illustrations are gorgeous with an artsy take.  A great book, and a great addition to any library collection. Great for 2nd grade through 6th grade. picture book, kidlit, award books, read aloud, immigrants. Alohamoraopenabook Alohamora Open a Book http://alohamoraopenabook.blogspot.com/

The information and personal pictures about the author, Bao Phi, and illustrator, Thi Bui, found in the back of the book is fantastic.  I loved reading all about Phi and Bui.  Their history and personal connection with the story is powerful, and helps the reader feel even stronger for the story.  This page was a great ending to a wonderful book. Go check this read out!  

Happy New Perspective on Immigrants reading!

A Different Pond by Bao Phi illustrated by Thi Bui

Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Best For: 7-12 years old, 2nd to 6th grade. 

Worth a Check Out: Yes
Buy It or Not: Great book. Definitely a purchase for a library collection.
Read Aloud: Yes.  

Lesson Ideas: Immigration, immigrants, diversity, Asian culture, family, father-son time, family relationships, Caldecott.

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut gets 4 Stars {picture book, caldecott, newbery}


Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut written by Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Gordon C. James won all of the awards this year.  This book was definitely the big ALA winner; it came away with 7 awards.  With a Caldecott Honor, aka runner-up for illustrations, Newbery Honor, aka a runner-up for the written story, and a Coretta Scott King Award, an award for the best book by an African-American, for the author and illustrator. Barnes and Gordon seem to be quite the dream team, and even more impressive they are both new to the writing/illustrating world. 

Most people adored this book, and it's not new to me for feeling differently from the majority.  To be honest, I felt Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut is a great book to add to your collection for more diversity.  I felt the concept of taking pride in your appearance, getting a hair cut in this instance, can build self-esteem.  The story and the pictures are unique and beautiful in their own ways.  I thought the word choice was excellent and descriptive with words like magnificent, flawless, and a comparison to royalty.  


Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes and Illustrated by Gordon C. James is a picture book about an African American boy who is excited to get a hair cut, and seems to build his self-esteem when he does get it cut.  Newbery Honor book (best story runner-up), Caldecott Honor book (best pictures runner-up) and several other awards.  This kidlit book earns 4 out of 5 stars in my book review. I think best geared to toddlers through 2nd grade.  Great diversity book. Alohamora Open a Book, alohamoraopenabook http://alohamoraopenabook.blogspot.com/

My major qualm with the book, and why it earned 4 out of 5 stars was because the storyline and the wording seem more appropriate for 4th through 6th grade, however the concept of pride felt from a hair cut, and the excitement for going to get a cut seems more appropriate for preschoolers.  I think the audience this book is best suited for is off and the reason for my lack of enthusiasm.     

According to Goodreads, I am in the minority with my rating.  What do you think? Where do you rate this Caldecott and Newbery Honor book?      

Happy New Hair Cut Self-Esteem Building picture book reading!

Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes illustrated by Gordon C. James

Rating: 4/5 stars
Best For: 2-7 years old, Toddlers to 2nd grade. 

Worth a Check Out: Yes
Buy It or Not: It's a great diversity book, if your collection is lacking diversity you need this book.
Read Aloud: Yes.  If you are talking about hair-cut or appearance impacting self-esteem.

Lesson Ideas: Hair cut, barbershop, African-American, word choice 6 traits writing, Caldecott, Newbery. 


Monday, February 27, 2017

That's NOT How You Do It! gets 5 Stars {picture book}

That's NOT How You Do It! by Ariane Hofmann-Maniyar gets 5/5 stars in my book review for this super cute and simple story.  The illustrations are great, and the message is too.  Reminds me of Mo Willem's work. picture book toddlers preschool kindergarten, first grade, second grade, chinese, chopsticks, yoga, friendship Alohamora Open a Book https://alohamoraopenabook.blogspot.com/ 
Fork or chopsticks?  Gymnastics or yoga? Xylophone or mandolin?  Which are better? 

That's NOT How You Do It! is Ariane Hofmann-Maniyar's second book, and I'm a big fan of her work.  The simplicity of the story and the cute and creative illustrations she does herself reminds me of Mo Willems' books... and that is huge compliment coming from this self-proclaimed "Willems' Biggest Fan!"

That's NOT How You Do It! by Ariane Hofmann-Maniyar gets 5/5 stars in my book review for this super cute and simple story.  The illustrations are great, and the message is too.  Reminds me of Mo Willem's work. picture book toddlers preschool kindergarten, first grade, second grade, chinese, chopsticks, yoga, friendship Alohamora Open a Book https://alohamoraopenabook.blogspot.com/

I give That's NOT How You Do It! 5 out of 5 stars.  Really, this book is great, and it comes out Wednesday, March 1st so order it now for only $8

A story of friendship, diversity, and understanding done in a super cute and simple manner with fantastic illustrations makes this 5 star rating well deserved. 

Amazon has the following book description, and an awesome price for this great book. 

"Lucy knows how to do everything. She knows how to eat with a spoon and fork, play the xylophone, paint elephants - and lots more besides! All her friends ask her for help if they need to know the right way to do something. When Toshi arrives, Lucy thinks he can't do anything properly at all. He eats differently, plays strange music, and he definitely can't paint elephants. She can barely hide her frustration. And when she finally tries to teach Toshi the right way to do things, she learns a very important lesson herself. A simple, funny tale about understanding, respecting and enjoying our differences."


That's NOT How You Do It! by Ariane Hofmann-Maniyar gets 5/5 stars in my book review for this super cute and simple story.  The illustrations are great, and the message is too.  Reminds me of Mo Willem's work. picture book toddlers preschool kindergarten, first grade, second grade, chinese, chopsticks, yoga, friendship Alohamora Open a Book https://alohamoraopenabook.blogspot.com/


Lucy does it one way and Toshi does it another way; how do you do it? 

Personally, I choose chopsticks as often as I can, yoga is my kind of fun, and mandolin just looks a lot more fun.

Happy Cute Simple 5 Star Picture Book Reading!


That's NOT How YOU Do It! by Ariane Hofmann-Maniyar
Rating: 5/5 stars
Best For: 3 to 7 years old, preschool to 2nd grade
Worth a Check Out: Yes!
Buy It or Not: If you have young kids, yes!
Read Aloud: Yes! 
Lesson Ideas: diversity, friendship, culture differences


I received this book from Myrick Marketing in exchange for my review and honest opinion.  All of my thoughts, opinions, and words are my own.

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

The Sun is Also a Star gets 4 Stars {ya lit, printz honor, contemporary literature}

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon is a Printz Honor book, and the second book of hers that I've read.  I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.  It was good, but it wasn't great.  I felt Everything Everything was better.  Though, I think she as an author has many great things and books to come in the YA market.  Alohamora Open a Book www.alohamoraopenabook.blogspot.com ya lit, teen read, high school, Printz Award, young adult, romance,

"What a difference a day makes." That alone is the perfect sentence to describe Nicola Yoon's new book, The Sun is Also a Star.  

A day can determine if you meet someone, go to college, be deported, enjoy a good book, or a myriad of other events.  A day really can make such a difference for good or for bad; the key is what we do with that day.  

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon won a Printz Honor Award this year; basically she got 2nd place for one of the best books for young adults/teen that were published in 2016.  

This is the second Yoon book I've read, and her second book.  Everything Everything  was published almost two years ago, and I just found out a movie based on the book, that shares the title, is going to be out this year.  I love Book Based Movies; I guess that is probably why I wrote my thesis on it.

I really enjoyed Everything Everything, and I should probably write an official review of it since I read it over a year ago.  I thought the story line was creative, the character development was well done, and I really found myself cheering for Maddy.  If you liked The Fault in Our Stars you should definitely read Everything Everything. 

Sorry about that book review interruption.  Let me get back to the Printz Honor winner at hand.  I give The Sun is Also a Star 4 out of 5 stars.  I liked it, I really did.  I felt the diversity and the immigration/deportation issue to be poignant and relevant.  I felt the story line was fun, romantic, creative, pushed complex issues, and all around great.  I really think it deserved the honor award, and b/c of the complex issues it presented I see why it was awarded a Printz Honor.  

With all of that said, I only gave it 4 stars b/c it was just good; it wasn't great in my mind.  I actually enjoyed Yoon's first book a tad more.  I enjoyed the reason for the title, The Sun is Also a Star, and how that was explained.  It was deeper, and perfect for an English paper analysis.

In the book, I thought the survey was cute.  I liked that it was a romance, but completely realistic.  I liked that the characters followed their dreams.  I liked the ending and that it wasn't your perfect unrealistic ending.  I liked the complexity of the relationships with the families situations and viewpoints as well as the interracial dealings.  I liked Daniel as a character and I liked Natasha as a character.  I thought Yoon did a great job writing this story, and I'm glad I read it.  

I would definitely recommend this book to boys or girls in high school, but probably only if they were readers.  I don't think this is a book for a reluctant reader.  I don't remember anything being highly inappropriate.  There wasn't any sex, but there was reference to it if I remember correctly.  There was some language, but I would say it was a pretty clean read.  

The Sun is Also a Star is a great story.  It wasn't amazing in my mind, and it didn't have the wow factor.  However, it was really great, and the realistic love story of sorts made it perfect for this week.  I just had to share it with you.  

Go check this one out, or give it a listen.  It's a good audiobook as well.  

Amazon has the following book review from School Library Journal: 

"It is Natasha's last day in New York City, where she has lived for 10 years. Her family, living as undocumented immigrants in a small Brooklyn apartment, are being deported to Jamaica after her father's arrest for drunk driving. Natasha is scouring the city for a chance to stay in the United States legally. She wants the normal teen existence of her peers. Meanwhile, poetic Daniel is on his way to an interview as part of his application process to Yale. He is under great pressure to get in because his parents (who emigrated from South Korea) are adamant that he become a doctor. Events slowly conspire to bring the two leads together. When Daniel and Natasha finally meet, he falls in love immediately and convinces her to join him for the day. They tell their stories in alternating chapters. Additional voices are integrated into the book as characters interact with them. Both relatable and profound, the bittersweet ending conveys a sense of hopefulness that will resonate with teens. VERDICT This wistful love story will be adored by fans of Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor & Park and by those who enjoyed the unique narrative structure of A.S. King's Please Ignore Vera Dietz."

Is young adult realistic fiction/contemporary fiction your cup of tea? It's my favorite genre so I gravitate to these types of books. 

Did you read The Sun is Also a Star? If so, do you think it was Printz Honor worthy?  As always, I love to hear your thoughts.  

Happy Diverse Complex Contemporary Fiction Award Winning reading!