Reading Ahead - Page 2 - Bookology Magazine

Tucked In for the Winter

November 8, 2016 2 Comments

Every detail in this book is heartwarming. You know that the author and the illustrator and the book’s publishing team put a lot of love and respect into bringing this story to readers. From the moment you see the opening end papers, a forest and pasture ablaze with fall color, until you discover the closing end papers, that same forest with the snowy skeletons of those trees, you sense the care within.… more

Women Can Be Magicians, Too!

October 25, 2016 2 Comments

In a sumptuous picture book biography, author Mara Rockliff and illustrator Iacopo Bruno give us the life of Adelaide Scarcez Herrmann, a real person who lived from 1853 to 1932. During her 79 years, she was an actress, a dancer, a vaudevillian, and she was shot out of a cannon. As the title says, she was Anything but Ordinary Addie.… more

Everything You Need to Ace Science in One Big Fat Notebook

Everything You Need to Ace Five Subjects

October 11, 2016 No Comments

I’ve had this TBR pile of five very attractive, come-hither-looking books begging to be recommended for weeks now. The spines are bright primary colors so I know that even when I shelve them they will be calling to me. And I think they’ll be calling to your students as well. I open what are for me the two scariest volumes (eat your vegetables first — oops, as an adult, I find I LOVE vegetables), Everything You Need to Know to Ace Science in One Fat Notebook: Notes Borrowed from the Smartest Kid in Class (Double-Checked by Award-Winning Teacher) and Everything You Need to Ace Math in One Big Fat Notebook: Notes Borrowed from the Smartest Kid in Class (Double-Checked by Award-Winning Teacher).… more

Those Alluring Comics Storytellers

September 29, 2016 2 Comments

When I began working as, and thinking of myself as, a graphic designer, I assumed that all of my ideas would have to spring out of my mind … and that was terrifying. (Think of the oft-asked question, “Where do your ideas come from?”) I didn’t think I was creative enough or widely traveled enough or even educated enough as a graphic designer to come up with ideas that would translate into smart, pleasing designs on paper or a computer screen.… more

Bring Me Some Apples and I'll Make You a Pie

Apples, Well-Being, and Family

September 13, 2016 2 Comments

Bring Me Some Apples and I’ll Make You a Pie: A Story about Edna Lewis is a memorable book about growing food throughout the seasons and living off the land in Virginia. Wild strawberry, purslane, dandelions, sassafras, honey. As spring rides the breeze into summer, this extended family tends to their larder, taking full advantage of the fruits, nuts, and vegetables growing around them.… more

Welcome to Roy’s House

August 30, 2016 No Comments

What better way to familiarize one’s self with the work of pop culture artist Roy Lichtenstein than to walk through his house from living room to snack bar, from bathroom to bedroom, and finally into his studio, where we can try our hand at painting? Susan Goldman Rubin and her team at Chronicle have created a book illustrated by Roy Lichtenstein’s paintings, Roy’s House, which lets us see up close his style of art, the colors he used, and the technique of shading color in dots.… more

August Shorts

August 17, 2016 No Comments

Warning: There’s a lot of enthusiasm ahead for these books! Where Do Pants Go?
Written by Rebecca Van Slyke, illustrated by Chris Robertson
Sterling Children’s Books, 2016 Well, this is just adorable … and I can already hear households throughout the English-speaking world chanting: “Where do pants go? On your arms? No. On your neck? No. No, no, no. Pants go on your legs, that’s where pants go.”… more

Books Like This Are Convincing

August 5, 2016 No Comments

I’m more comfortable with magic than I am with science. Married to a science guy, I work harder to be interested in science. It gives us something to talk about. When I find narrative nonfiction that tells a compelling story, I’m thankful … and intrigued. I’m particularly happy to find books that feature lesser-known aspects of science, thereby taunting my curiosity.… more

Dear Peacemakers

July 19, 2016 No Comments

In recent weeks, we’ve had many requests for books about anger and fear and conflict resolution. I was immediately reminded of an excellent resource published in 2010 called Book by Book: an Annotated Guide to Young People’s Literature with Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution Themes (Carol Spiegel, published by Educators for Social Responsibility, now called Engaging Schools).… more

Reading Memories

July 5, 2016 6 Comments

Memories of my childhood are imperfect. Yours, too? I don’t remember having a lot of books as a child. I remember The Poky Little Puppy and another dog book (title unknown) and Three Little Kittens (perhaps a reminder to me to keep track of my mittens). I remember using the school library voraciously to read books. I had no access to the public library (too far away) so that school library was my lifeline.… more

Visiting Brigadoon

June 21, 2016 10 Comments

Steve and I returned earlier this week from Montpelier, Vermont, where we spoke at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, specifically to the alumni of their Writing for Children and Young Adults MFA program. We were there to talk about “Marketing as Storytelling,” with the goal of making these typically introverted writers feel more comfortable about touting their books.… more

Going to Camp

May 24, 2016 2 Comments

As summer begins, it’s possible there is no more ubiquitous experience for American children than summer camp. Whether it’s a day camp or a sleepaway camp, an art or music camp, a Girl Scout or church camp, there are some things that most camps have in common: the outdoors, getting along with other kids and counselors, and new experiences.… more

Adventures in Cartooning: Characters in Action

Summer Adventures

May 10, 2016 No Comments

The other day, a public librarian asked on social media for graphic novel recommendations for readers aged 6 to 12. I immediately recommended the Adventures in Cartooning series by James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, and Alexis Frederick-Frost. The first book was Adventures in Cartooning: How to Turn Your Doodles into Comics, introducing us to The Knight, Edward the chubby horse, and the Magic Cartooning Elf.… more

Light vs Dark

April 6, 2016 No Comments

Do you have a book that you re-read periodically? At least every few years? Sometimes more often? For me, it’s The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. I have read thousands of books in my lifetime, but this book stands out as the one that captured my full heart, mind, and imagination. When I think of it, a hush falls over me.… more

The Jungle Book

March 22, 2016 No Comments

The word exquisite once won the game for me while playing Password. I have been fond of that word since that time and look for instances where it applies. That is surely the illustrated edition of The Jungle Book, written by Rudyard Kipling all of those years ago, and newly illustrated by Nicola Bayley. Candlewick published this edition of the classic stories and their classics are worth collecting, reading, and treasuring.… more

Fashion Studio

March 8, 2016 No Comments

Oh. my goodness. When I opened up this box, I was immediately transported to my grandparents’ back yard, on the blue blanket under the elm tree, when a gaggle of friends brought their Barbies and Kens together and we sewed clothes out of fabric scraps and held fashion shows. Those days are some of my best memories of childhood.… more

Perspective

February 23, 2016 No Comments

At Bookology, we believe the adage about “the right book for the right reader.” Those are not necessarily the books that we see in advertisements, in the bloggers’ buzz, or on award lists. Only by listening to each other, and especially to kids, talk about books do we find those gems our hearts were looking for but didn’t know existed.… more

Libraries in the USA are at Mission Critical

February 9, 2016 No Comments

“There is not such a cradle of democracy upon the earth as the Free Public Library, this republic of letters, where neither rank, office, nor wealth receives the slightest consideration.” —Andrew Carnegie Libraries in the USA are at mission critical. Those who went before us worked hard to establish free public libraries so we could have access to what we need to know.… more

Telling a Story the Hard Way

January 26, 2016 No Comments

by Vicki Palmquist I’ve just finished reading the graphic novel Space Dumplins by Craig Thompson, with color by Dave Stewart (Graphix, 2015). I am overwhelmed by the work that went into this book. First off, it’s an engrossing, turn-the-page story with an appealing cast of characters. As readers, we care about what will happen. That’s a good start.… more

Rolling the Storytelling Blocks

January 12, 2016 No Comments

by Vicki Palmquist Looking for hours of fun with a book the whole family can enjoy … or one person can easily study to learn to write or tell a story … better? Then you’ll want to give this a try: How to Tell a Story, written by Daniel Nayeri, illustrated by Brian Won, and published by Workman Publishing in 2015. This book comes in a box.… more

Looking inside

December 15, 2015 2 Comments

by Vicki Palmquist For several years, I have been dipping into a book that I keep beside my desk. It’s called Today I Will: a Year of Quotes, Notes, and Promises to Myself (Knopf, 2009). Two acknowledged masters of children’s literature, Eileen Spinelli and Jerry Spinelli, wrote it. They are parents and grandparents and one can feel their love and concern for future generations in this book.… more

“Don’t get took! Read a book!”

December 1, 2015 No Comments

by Vicki Palmquist I go crazy when I hear that Vaunda Michaux Nelson has another book coming out. I’m a fan. For my own reading life, No Crystal Stair: a documentary novel of the life and work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem bookseller, is one of my top ten books in the last ten years. I found every aspect of that book satisfying.… more

Collecting your observations

November 17, 2015 No Comments

by Vicki Palmquist I never kept a journal. Why? It never occurred to me. It wasn’t within my realm of familiarity. I started writing many stories on notebook paper and stuffed them into folders. But how satisfying to have a journal, specifically an observation journal to keep track of what you see, hear, and think. As a child, I was a hunter-gatherer. Were you?… more

Is It a Classic?

November 3, 2015 5 Comments

by Vicki Palmquist When I was in my twenties, I worked at an architecture firm. Several of the architects were fascinated by my deep connection to children’s books. One day, one of them asked me, “Which books, being published now, will become classics?” That question has stuck with me, holding up a signpost every now and then. How does one predict a classic?… more

Museum Feast

October 20, 2015 No Comments

Historium
curated by Richard Wilkinson and Jo Nelson
Big Picture Press, 2015 by Vicki Palmquist In a large, folio-sized book, the curators of Historium present a printed-page trip through a museum, grouped by cultures and described in detail so you can understand what you are seeing without being rushed along by the crowd. Much like those rentable museum audio tapes or the placards on the wall, it’s an enhanced experience of the artifacts.… more

Laughter and Grief

October 6, 2015 4 Comments

by Vicki Palmquist There are books we remember all of our lives, even if we can’t remember the details. Sometimes we can’t even remember the story, but we remember the characters and how they made us feel. We recall being transported into the pages of the book, seeing what the characters see, hearing what they hear, and understanding the time and spaces and breathing in and out of the characters.… more

The Classics, Galdone-Style

September 22, 2015 No Comments

by Vicki Palmquist Are you looking for a shower or baby gift that will be appreciated for a long time? A good birthday present for a young child? The Folk Tale Classics Treasury, interpreted and illustrated by Paul Galdone (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2013), is a good place for parents to start with retellings of western European folk tales.… more

Fashion Forward and Backward

September 8, 2015 No Comments

by Vicki Palmquist (A) If your kids are plugged in to Project Runway or
(B) if you come from a tradition of sewing clothes in your family or
© if you’ve ever been asked about where jeans come from … this is the right book for your 5- to 8‑year-old. Where Did My Clothes Come From? by Chris Butterworth, with illustrations by Lucia Gaggiotti (Candlewick Press, 2015) is a nifty book with words and drawings that combine to give satisfying answers.… more

There’s Nothing to Dooooooooo

August 11, 2015 6 Comments

by Vicki Palmquist By this point in the summer when I was young, the charm of being out of school had worn off, I’d played every game on my grandma’s shelves, and I’d had a few fights with my friends in the neighborhood, so I’d retreated to reading as many books as I could, consuming stories like Ms. Pacman swallowing energy pellets.… more

Give me a good mystery

July 14, 2015 No Comments

Summertime is synonymous with reading for me. My grandmother kept a light blue blanket by the back door so I could spread it out under the elm tree and dissolve into stories. Sometimes a lemonade, sometimes a piece of watermelon … but always a book. Sometimes a friend would sit next to me absorbed in a story of their own but most often it was just me, the birds, the sounds of summer, and a hardcover book.… more

“I’m not ready for school!”

June 30, 2015 2 Comments

I minored in theatre in college, where I crossed the street from Augsburg to attend Arthur Ballet’s legendary history of theatre class at the University of Minnesota. Lessons learned in that class came rushing back as I savored Mike Wohnoutka’s Dad’s First Day because it struck me how well this book would play as theatre of the absurd.… more

Epic felt

June 16, 2015 2 Comments

Three small board books … encompassing the first three Star Wars movies and a year-long craft project. As I read each book, all 12 words, one word and one photo on each two-page spread, it slowly dawned on me just how ingenious they are. In those 12 carefully chosen words and scenes from the movie, Jack and Holman Wang, twin brothers and admirable artistes, manage to evoke the entire saga of the first three movies.… more

Outer Space Ambassador

June 2, 2015 No Comments

by Vicki Palmquist Every once in a while I come across a book that wakes up that breathless, eager, sense-of-wonder-at-everything-new feeling I had about reading as a child. I admit it, after 3,000 or so books the plots and characters and resolutions can feel similar to something I’ve read before. Well, I joyfully read a book that hit all the right notes and transported me back to a bedtime reading experience where I couldn’t turn off the light, fell asleep, and then woke up in the morning to finish the book before my feet hit the floor.… more

When a Prince Needs a Mechanic

May 19, 2015 No Comments

by Vicki Palmquist With a deft story and otherworldly art, Deborah Underwood and Meg Hunt bring us Interstellar Cinderella, a fresh and welcome take on the familiar fairy tale with a bit of Androcles and the Lion and The Jetsons thrown into the mix. In this version, Cinderella loves fixing anything mechanical. She has her own set of special tools, all carefully drawn and named on the endpapers for the kids who love identifying things.… more

We Didn’t Always Know the Way

April 21, 2015 2 Comments

by Vicki Palmquist A step-by-step, slightly tongue-in-cheek but mostly sincere, guide to reading a book, How to Read a Story by Kate Messner, illustrated by Mark Siegel (Chronicle Books), will have you and your young readers feeling all warm and cozy and smart. With advice in Step 2 to Find a Reading Buddy, we are cautioned “And make sure you both like the book.”… more

That’s Some Egg

April 7, 2015 No Comments

by Vicki Palmquist In Under the Egg, Theodora Tenpenny begins her story when her beloved grandfather, Jack, is hit by a taxi … and dies. Outside their 200-year-old Manhattan townhome, Jack whispers to Theo to “look under the egg.” Dealing with her grief, but desperate because she and her head-in-the-clouds mother have no income, Theo tries to figure out what her grandfather meant.… more

Hands-on History for Spatial Learners

March 24, 2015 No Comments

When I was in elementary school, I was never more excited than when the teacher told us we could make a diorama or a miniature scene of a pioneer settlement. The concept, planning, and building were thrilling for me. Even though my finished work seldom approached the dazzling display I could see in my head, I learned a great deal about history, engineering, science, and cardboard from my forays into building a small world in three dimensions.… more

Reading Ahead: Levitate Your Brother!

March 10, 2015 2 Comments

by Vicki Palmquist We recently hosted a Harry Potter party for adults for which everyone was asked to perform a magic trick. Some people fiercely addressed the challenge. Some people panicked. Some people bought a trick off the internet. I turned to Joshua Jay’s Big Magic for Little Hands (Workman Publishing Co). Citing all the benefits of learning to perform magic, the author reveals that he wasn’t a reader until he needed to know about magic.… more

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