Gifts from the Gods: Ancient Words and Wisdom from Greek and Roman Mythology

Victory, echo, fate, mortal, furious, Grace, grateful, janitor---these are just a few everyday English words that take their origin from ancient Greek and Roman mythology.  The brief stories in this collection introduce readers to the ancient myths, and explain how the stories are related to today's common words.  It's a wonderful introduction to Greek and Roman mythology for intermediate and middle school readers, and is a great resource for the English classroom.  Lise Lunge-Larson is the Minnesota author behind this clever book, and the action-filled illustrations by Gareth Hinds bring the stories to life.

West of the Moon

Astri is a thirteen year old Norwegian girl who has been lent (sold?) to a cruel goat
herder. She is determined to escape and travel to America to join her widowed father.  The story is told in three parts:  service to the goat herder; the daring escape to the coast; and travel to America.  Several Norwegian folktales are woven into the story, and they inspire Astri to hold onto hope despite her dire circumstances. The story is conceived from a statement in the diary of the author's great-great-grandmother.  Minnesota author Margi Preus, has written another winner for intermediate and middle school readers.  It might be a good read-aloud to accompany immigration units.

Plant a Pocket of Prairie

The author/illustrator team of Phyllis Root and Betsy Bowen have produced another winner about Minnesota ecosystems--this time the native prairie of southern and western Minnesota. Readers are encouraged to plant a pocket of prairie to help reestablish that rich ecosystem of birds, insects, flowers, grasses and other features that we have nearly lost.  Back matter includes more information on the plants and animals featured, as well as the prairie ecosystem in general.  A great classroom resource for intermediate level science or social studies units studying Minnesota ecosystems.

Grasshopper Magic

The third entry in the Magical Mixups series by Lynne Jonell has the Willow children getting ready for the town festival.  Abner has been chosen to dress up and represent his great uncle General Abner Willow.  Abner is worried about how things will go--will he forget his speech?, or fall off his horse?  The other Willow children decide he needs some bravery practice.  One day the children are challenged to eat some baked grasshoppers, made by Mrs. Delgado, the seamstress who is making Abner's costume.  Abner bravely tries a few, and soon he is leaping 20 feet in the air.  How to stop the grasshopper magic?  Read the story to see if the children solve this dilemma in time for the festival.

Lawn Mower Magic

Continuing the group of stories that began with Hamster Magic; in this installment, the Willow family faces the necessity of getting a new lawn mower because the old one has died.  That is until Abner finds an old fashioned push mower in the shed.  The kids pull it out, sprinkle some handfuls of grass on it -- and -- just like magic, the lawnmower takes off to mow the huge lawn.  There are several unexpected adventures along the way, but the lawn is mowed, and Mr. and Mrs. Willow are very proud of the kids in the end.  Written by Lynne Jonell, the illustrations by Brandon Dorman add to the humor of the story; and the book will be enjoyed by readers in grades 2-4.  Just perfect for the start of summer!

The Morning Sam Went to Mars; A Book About Paying Attention

Eight year old Sam is a smart boy, but he is easily distracted; and his parents and teacher often have to remind him to "Focus, Sam!". Eventually his father takes him to a counselor who helps him with strategies so he can stay on track better.  It's hard at first, but eventually Sam and others see his improvement, which allows Sam the chance (once in a while) to let his imagination run free.  Nancy Carlson is the author and illustrator of this resource book for children (and their parents) who have trouble paying attention.

The Real Boy

Set in a fantasy world called Aletheia, this is the story of a boy, who is a social misfit, and who works as the "hand" (i.e. lowest servant) of a magician named Caleb.  Oscar lives in the basement of Caleb's shop, and spends his days making potions, charms, and tinctures for Caleb to sell.  Then Oscar's world turns upside down when Caleb leaves on an extended trip, his apprentice is mysteriously killed, and Oscar is left in charge.  A healer's apprentice, Callie, helps him learn social manners and behavior, and together they must tackle a large mystery concerning why the magic (that everyone depends on) is suddenly doing bad things to people.  Written by Anne Ursu, with illustrations by Erin McGuire; junior high and strong upper elementary readers will be drawn into this fantasy world where everything depends on the magic.

Flora and Ulysses; The Illuminated Adventures

Hmmm--where to start with this book?  Let's try the main characters.  Flora is a young girl, living with her romance-writing mother because her parents are divorced.  Flora has withdrawn into the comic book world of The Amazing Incandesto! and has memorized much of its ongoing feature Terrible Things Can Happen to You!
Ulysses is a squirrel who has been swallowed whole by a neighbors new vacuum cleaner.  Flora rescues Ulysses; and Ulysses is transformed into a superhero who can fly, type and compose poetry, and is always hungry.
This quirky story by Kate DiCamillo (we claim her as a Minnesotan, although she isn't always residing here), with illustrations by K. G. Campbell, will appeal to intermediate readers. 

Scaly, Spotted, Feathered, Frilled: How do We Know What Dinosaurs Really Looked Like?

Not your ordinary dinosaur book, this new title by Catherine Thimmesh, looks at how paleoartists try to figure out what dinosaurs actually looked like?  Did they have scales?, feathers?, maybe both?  As scientists learn more about how and where dinosaurs lived, the new evidence changes how artists portray them.  Filled with historic and current illustrations, this fascinating book will appeal to dinosaur enthusiasts, and young artists alike.  It may be a resource for science classes studying dinosaurs.

Surviving the Hindenburg

The giant airship, Hindenburg, was cruising along the East Coast of the United States on May 6, 1937.  Werner Franz was the cabin boy on board making his first trip to the United States.  Suddenly, as the ship came in to land at Lakehurst, NJ, something terrible happened and the great airship was destroyed.  Many people know the general story of the Hindenburg, but they may not know that 62 people survived the disaster, including Werner.  This picture book account is written by Larry Verstraete, with oil painting illustrations by Minnesotan David Geister; and it could be a classroom resource for upper elementary or middle school social studies classes.

Hannah's Way

Hannah's father has lost his job during the Depression, and the family must move to the Iron Range so he can help in Uncle Max's general store.  Hannah starts attending her new school, only to find that she is the only Jewish girl there.  This becomes a problem when a class picnic is scheduled on a saturday, but Hannah is not allowed to ride in a car that day in order to observe the Sabbath.  A solution is found when several of her new classmates volunteer to walk with her to the picnic.  Based on a real story, this picture book by Linda Glaser, with illustrations by Adam Gustavson, will add to students' understanding of the many ethnic and cultural groups that have made their homes in small towns as well as the large cities in Minnesota.

Twelve Owls

Owls are fascinating predators found in many Minnesota locations.  This book includes profiles of twelve owls known to live in or migrate to Minnesota; ranging from the tiny saw-whet to the magnificent great gray owl.  In addition to general identification and habitat information,  the book includes information on how the environment affects each owls' life pattern and habitat. Written by Laura Erickson, with life size paintings of each bird by Betsy Bowen; this will be a good resource for predator units in science or biology classes.

Birds in Our Backyard

Minnesota is home to over 400 species of birds throughout the year.  This book will help young readers learn about Minnesota birds as they are seen during the four seasons.  They will also learn about travel and migration, nests, habitat, and the favorite foods of various birds.  The text, in poetry form, is written by Adele Porter, and the beautiful color photographs by Bill Marchel bring to life the world of Minnesota birds.  This is an excellent resource for elementary bird units, and can be enjoyed by readers any time of year.

Wild Boy: The Real Life of the Savage of Aveyron

In 1798, woodsmen in southern France captured a seemingly wild boy in the woods and marched him to the town square.  So begins the story of the Savage of Aveyron.  Who was this boy? How old was he? Why didn't he speak? No one knew the answers.  Eventually the boy was taken to Paris where he lived in a home for deaf children. He attended the Institute of Deaf-Mutes, where a doctor tutored him intensely.  Although he never learned to speak, he was always drawn to the outdoors and to the woods; and it became clear that he did feel emotions.  Written by Mary Losure, with black and white illustrations by Timothy Ering, this very readable story will interest students at intermediate and middle school grades.

Minnesota Bug Hunt

What is that fearsome creature on the cover of this book?  It's a Red Milkweed Beetle, and it lives on milkweed in the prairie/grassland habitat.  This book will provide readers an up-close-and-personal look at some of Minnesota's most interesting and unusual insects.  It is arranged by habitat (backyard, grassland/prairie, forest, pond, and oak tree), and provides information on three to six insects from each habitat.  Author Bruce Giebink (aka 'Bruce the Bug Guy') introduces readers to fun facts about each insect.  The detailed photographs by Bill Johnson allow readers to really see the features of each insect.  It will be a great resource for elementary insect units.

City Chickens

In this book, readers will learn about a unique animal shelter in North Minneapolis, called Chicken Run Rescue.  It provides shelter to chickens who may have been abandoned, maltreated, or have escaped from someone's yard.  Written by Christine Heppermann, this book tells the story of several chickens who have lived (or may still be there) at Chicken Run.  It also describes how the shelter got started, and how it operates each day.  Excellent color photographs and a colorful layout enhance the enjoyment of this book.  It could be used in classes studying farm/city animals; or as a model text for writing nonfiction at the upper elementary or middle school level.  It even offers food for thought for educators with a page discussing alternatives to baby-chick hatching units.  Overall, it is an excellent book on a unique subject.

Hoop Genius; How a Desperate Teacher and a Rowdy Gym Class Invented Basketball

It's hard to imagine how a new gym teacher with a rowdy class of boys could invent a game of international popularity--yet that is exactly what happened to James Naismith in 1891 at a school in Springfield, Massachusetts. Written by John Coy, illustrated by Joe Morse, this picture book vividly shows how the first game was played, and how the sports world changed as a result.  A copy of the first draft of rules is printed on the endpapers, adding a primary resource to the story.  This could be the starting point for students to do historical research on their favorite game.

BookSpeak! Poems About Books

 

In this poetry picture book, Laura Purdie Salas has collected a group of fun, slightly wacky, but engaging poems for young readers--and the subject is BOOKS.  There are numerous literary allusions; for example, in "Cliffhanger", a dog is clinging to rocks while a whale swims below, and the words plead: "Please, author, write a sequel fast!".  "The Middle's Lament" is a three-voice poem where the beginning, middle and end of a book discuss who's best and most important to the story.  People who produce books are honored in "This is the Book".  With its variety of poetic forms, and effective use of several language arts terms, this is a sure thing for elementary language arts classes.  The mixed media illustrations by Jose'e Bisaillon fill the pages with color and imagination.  A teacher's activity guide can be found here.  This won the Minnesota Book Award in 2012.

T is for Twin Cities; A Minneapolis/St. Paul Alphabet

 This is not your average alphabet book.  Written by Nancy Carlson and Helen Wilbur, with illustrations by David Geister; this book brings together information about historic landmarks, famous Minnesotans, and natural beauty to introduce young readers to what makes the Twin Cities a wonderful place to live.  James J. Hill, Garrison Keilor, and Elizabeth Quinlan, Minnehaha Falls, The Chain of Lakes, and the Mississippi River join the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Guthrie Theatre, and the Minnesota Orchestra among the featured people and places in this introduction to the Twin Cities. In addition to a brief poem, each page includes two or three paragraphs telling readers more about what is featured there. The illustrations also capture the spirit of each topic.  This could be a classroom resource for upper elementary social studies and Minnesota history classes.

When Stravinsky Met Nijinsky

This may be my most favorite picture book of 2013 so far (but there are many I haven't looked at yet).  This book tells the story of the ballet The Rite of Spring, composed by Igor Stravinsky and choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky; and first performed in 1913 in Paris.  Using alliteration, onomatopoeia, and other musical language, author (and illustrator) Lauren Stringer, tells the story of the collaboration of these two musicians as they created this famous ballet.  The illustrations reflect the influence of cubism (a new artistic movement in the early 1900's).  Careful study of the illustrations will reveal hints of Matisse and Picasso, as an added treat.  The words and pictures fit together perfectly to make this a very special book.  There will be opportunities to use this in music, art, and language arts classes at the elementary level. An activity guide is available here; and a more detailed curriculum guide from Carnegie Hall can be found here.