July Carnival of Children's Literature

I'm so thrilled to be hosting this month's Carnival. Kidlitosphere members have been very busy reading this month.

Early Literacy

Reshama from Stacking Books says, "This is a great read aloud or self read for older kids. Susan Meddaugh, the authoress famous for her “Martha Speaks” books, has written a hilarious, witty and truly original chapter book for kids of age 6+. We loved the simple illustration that added to the story telling. Lulu’s character is very relatable as she tries to find the truth behind her family and the magical hat. This goodhearted girl will want you to grab a magic hat and try some tricks of your own!"

The Fourth Musketeer's Margo posts, "This is one of the most stunning picture books I have seen in ages. A must for animal lovers of all ages!" 

If you have anyone heading off to kindergarten come fall, or know anyone heading there, head over to Flowering Minds for a round-up of books "that address many of the first-day concerns that both kids and adults might have." 

Fiction

Lindsey from, A is for Aging writes, "I blog about "positive aging" picture books and in "Grandmama's Pride" I believe the grandmother is a superb role model for younger generations as she takes a stand for what she believes in--equal rights for her race. This book allowed me to draw a parallel between racism and ageism."

Alex, of Randomly Reading posted this about Paperboy, "This is an interesting first person story about a boy who agrees to take over his friend's paper route for a month despite speaking with a severe stutter."

Shelf-employed's Lisa writes, "It's difficult to keep up with the volume of books released each month! In addition to blogs and the monthly Carnival of Children's Literature, publishers have been helping by offering free e-content. Here are some publisher offerings, lengthy enough to give you the "flavor" of a book without tying up too much of your time. Enjoy!"

"There seem to be a lot of military families in the blogging world. I imagine many of them would be interested in a book like this. They might not fully agree with my viewpoint, but they (hopefully) will enjoy the subject of the post..." says Eric in his review of Hero Dad on Kid Book Ratings.

Jennifer of Mischief & Noise features "three great bedtime books for boys that will capture their attention while helping them settle down for the evening. I hope that Jennifer doesn't mind that I captured her beautiful cover picture instead of choosing a book cover! 


From author Gail Gauthier, "This post addresses how women--particularly teenage women--appear in fiction. Is there nothing for them to do in fictional worlds but seek, or be sought by, a man?"

Erica features "a selection of picture books based on Native American folktales on What Do We Do All Day? 



BooKa Uhu's Book Nook features Anthony McGowan's, Hello Darkness, saying, "It was just an amazing book - it lured me in and spat me out, dazed and confused, at the end of it (but in a good way). It's one I'll be babbling about to any teen who stands still for a good while."

"This brand-new middle grade debut novel stands out because of its quirky characters and emotional depth. The author's unique style will appeal to fans of the Casson family stories, and other novels about family relationships," says Katie from Secrets & Sharing Soda.

Our incredible leader, Anastasia, from Booktalking, writes, "Nasreddine is a legendary character popular in stories told throughout the Middle East. In this story, no matter what Nasreddine tries, someone always finds something to disapprove of. (This is true everywhere!)"

My own entry from proseandkahn is Karen Harrington's middle grade debut, Sure Signs of Crazy. Please make room in your heart for Sarah Nelson. 

Non-Fiction

Jeff, of NC Teacher Stuff, writes, "What was the Boston Tea Party? is a fascinating look at this precursor to the Revolutionary War. Even if you have read other accounts of this event, chances are you will learn something new by reading this book."
 

Poetry

"I wanted to compare two children's books about creatures who don't fly wanting to fly - a pig and a penguin, and I ended up looking at them in the context of a painting of Icarius and two poems about that painting," says Christy from Houseful of Chaos.

Sarah of Local Love: Books for Children in New England submits, "OCTOBER MOURNING: A SONG FOR MATTHEW SHEPARD is a powerful novel-in-verse for young adults. Come learn why I love it so much!"

"April Halprin Wayland provides links to sites where young writers can get their poetry/writing published and she shares a poem about the joy of being published." in Where Can a Young Writer Get Published?"

 

Interviews

Mary Ann, the brains behind Great Kids Books interviewed Bruce Hale (love the Chet Gecko series!) Here's what she says,"This is a chance for some of my favorite kid-testers to interview one of their favorite authors: Bruce Hale. Natchez and Isla are both avid readers, entering 6th and 7th grade. They love a wide range of books, and one of their new favorites is Bruce Hale's Playing with Fire. It's action, adventure & mystery, all with a hearty dose of humor!"

Author Of features a magical theme this month. Kate Hannigan writes," We dabble in the magical this month over at AuthorOf, with interviews with two middle-grade authors who feature a bit of magic in their books. 

Stephanie Burgis's three-book series, starting with "Kat, Incorrigible," is a tremendous amount of fun. And to learn how she pulled these books together, I can't help but think that Stephanie has been dabbling in the magical arts herself! They are so well-written and full of non-stop action. 

And Kimberley Griffiths Little weaves magic realism into her fast-paced mystery, "When the Butterflies Came." Both authors have created amazing worlds through lively writing that is sure to amuse and engage middle-grade readers."

"Each month, I feature a Young Reader Review on my blog, where kids are interviewed about their favorite books. This month Gary Paulsen's HATCHET is featured. This has become a popular feature on my blog, and it is always a pleasure to read what the kids have to say," writes Becky of Tapestry of Words. 

Book Projects

The Book Chook's own Susan posts, "Literacy-based guessing games are a great way to involve kids in reading and thinking about books. In this post, I've brought together lots of guessing games that can be used in the library or classroom, or adapted to use at home."

Zoe, of Playing by the Book, says, "I wanted to compare two children's books about creatures who don't fly wanting to fly - a pig and a penguin, and I ended up looking at them in the context of a painting of Icarius and two poems about that painting." 

Illustration

LH Johnson says, "I'm a great fan of David Almond and the work he's done with Dave McKean is just outstanding. In this post, I explore Slog's Dad in depth and why it's so very, very good." Stop by Did You Ever Stop to Think and Forget to Start Again? to check it out.