Learning at the Library » Young Adult Literature http://gottesman.pressible.org Research tips, event recaps, how-to's and best kept secrets from TC's Gottesman Libraries. Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:53:14 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 Colorín Colorado…: Author study, Eric Velasquez http://gottesman.pressible.org/veronicagarza/colorin-colorado-author-study-eric-velasquez http://gottesman.pressible.org/veronicagarza/colorin-colorado-author-study-eric-velasquez#comments Fri, 04 May 2012 20:30:33 +0000 Veronica http://gottesman.pressible.org/?p=15891

About the Author:

Eric is a native new yorker of Afro-Puertorican heritage.  He grew up in Harlem and uses much of his childhood memories as centerpieces for his books.  He earned his BFA from the School of Visual Arts in 1983.

Books at TC:

Champion: The story of Muhammad Ali

Curr GV1132.A44 H36 2002 (2nd, floor)

Author: Jim Haskins:  Illustrator: Eric Velasquez

Reading level: 5.0

Grandma’s gift

Juv PZ7.V4878 Gpn 2010, 2nd floor

Author and Illustrator: Eric Velasquez

Reading level: 5.3

Houdini: World’s greatest mystery man and escape king

Curr GV1545.H8 K73 2005, (2nd floor)

Author: Kathleen Krull ;  Illustrator: Eric Velasquez

Reading level: 5.8

Journey to Jo’burg: A South African story

Juv PZ7.N1384 Jo 1985, 2nd floor

Author: Beverley Naidoo ; Illustrator: Eric Velasquez

Reading level: 4.6

Liberty Street

Juv PZ7.R1743 Li 2003, 2nd floor

Author: Candice Ransom; Illustrator:  Eric Velasquez

Reading level: -

Rosetta, Rosetta, sit by me!

Juv PZ7.W1785 Ro 2004, 2nd floor

Author: Linda Walvoord; illustrated: Eric Velasquez

Reading level: 4.1

A season for mangoes

Juv PZ7.H1989 Se 2005, 2nd floor

Author: Regina Hanson; illustrator:  Eric Velasquez

Reading level: 3.6

The skirt

Juv PZ7.S7242 Sk 1992, 2nd floor

Author: Gary Soto; Illustrator: Eric Velasquez

Reading level: 4.7

The sound that jazz makes

Curr ML3506 .W42 2000, 2nd floor

Author: Carole Boston Weatherford; Illustrator: Eric Velasquez

Reading level: 4.3

A sweet smell of roses

Juv PZ7.J629 Swe 2005, 2nd flroo

Author: Angela Johnson; Illustrator: Eric Velasquez

Reading level: 3.4

Tanya and the Tobo Man: A story for children entering therapy

Curr RJ504.15 .K66 1991, 2nd floor

Author: Lesley Koplow; Illustrator: Eric Velasquez

Reading level: 4.3

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]]> http://gottesman.pressible.org/veronicagarza/colorin-colorado-author-study-eric-velasquez/feed 0 Colorín Colorado…: Author study, Carmen Agra Deedy http://gottesman.pressible.org/veronicagarza/colorin-colorado-author-study-carmen-agra-deedy http://gottesman.pressible.org/veronicagarza/colorin-colorado-author-study-carmen-agra-deedy#comments Sun, 29 Apr 2012 14:24:34 +0000 Veronica http://gottesman.pressible.org/?p=15866 About the Author:

Of Cuban descent, Carmen Agra Deedy is the author or many children’s books and has won numerous awards for her work.  Although some of her books touch upon Latino themes, many of her books contain general themes interesting to children.  As a teacher, I can tell you that her book, “The Library Dragon” was a favorite among my students.

Books at TC:

14 cows for America

Illustrator: Thomas Gonzalez

Call #: CURR,  E183.8.K4 D44 200, 2nd floor reading room

Reading level: 4.1

The Cheshire cheese cat: A dickens of a tale

Illustrator: Barry Moser

Call #: JUV,  PZ7.D3587 Ch 2011, 2nd floor reading room

Reading level: 5.1

Martina, the beautiful cockroach: A Cuban folktale

Illustrator: Michael Austin

Call #: CURR Z8.1.D3782 Mar 2007, 2nd floor reading room

Reading level: 3.1

Other Books by Carmen Agra Deedy:

Amazon

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]]> http://gottesman.pressible.org/veronicagarza/colorin-colorado-author-study-carmen-agra-deedy/feed 0 Colorín Colorado…: Author study, Alma Flor Ada http://gottesman.pressible.org/veronicagarza/colorin-colorado-author-study-alma-flor-ada http://gottesman.pressible.org/veronicagarza/colorin-colorado-author-study-alma-flor-ada#comments Sat, 21 Apr 2012 22:58:09 +0000 Veronica http://gottesman.pressible.org/?p=15872

About the Author:

Of  Cuban descent, Alma Flor Ada is the author of numerous children’s books and adult literature in both English and Spanish.  Most themes draw from her own or students’ experiences as Latinos in both the United States and Latin America.

Books at TC:

My name is Maria Isabel

Call #: Juv PZ7.A1857 My 1993 (2nd floor reading room)

Illustrator:K. Dyble Thompson

Reading level: 4th grade, 2nd month


Gathering the sun: An alphabet in Spanish and English

Call #: Juv PQ7079.2.A32 G38 1997 (2nd floor reading room)

Illustrator: Simon Silva

Reading level: 4th grade, 1st month


I love Saturdays y domingos

Call #: Juv PZ7.A1857 I66 2002 (2nd floor reading room)

Illustrator: Elivia Savadier

Reading level: 3rd grade, 1st month


Jordi’s Star

Call #: Juv PZ7.S1857 Sh 1996 (2nd floor reading room)

Illustrator: Susan Gaber

Reading level: 4th grade, 1st month


Need to find more books by reading level? Check out Scholastic’s Book Wizard.

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]]> http://gottesman.pressible.org/veronicagarza/colorin-colorado-author-study-alma-flor-ada/feed 0 Mermaids are really in right now http://gottesman.pressible.org/pronovost/mermaids-are-really-in-right-now http://gottesman.pressible.org/pronovost/mermaids-are-really-in-right-now#comments Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:14:15 +0000 Michelle Pronovost http://gottesman.pressible.org/?p=13889 …Also seals.

My younger brother, a college freshman in Brooklyn, volunteers for 826 Valencia, a young adult writing center in Park Slope. He recently participated in a Halloween event where kids 6-9 years old were asked to pen scary short stories.

“Twilight has ruined civilization,” he grumbled upon returning that afternoon. “These kids only want to write about three things: vampires, werewolves, and poop.” Apparently, Nate tried to convince his little students to consider ghosts, goblin, witches…they weren’t having it.

For those of you frustrated with what pointy-incisor Rob Pattinson and CGI Taylor Lautner have done to American culture (and beyond), I have good news. I happen to know someone who has a mole in the children’s book publishing market, and she has confirmed: vampires and werewolves are out. Mermaids and selkies are in.

There was hope for fallen angels, but they haven’t done as well as market projections, despite the popularity of Hush, Hush a NYT bestseller about a boy named Patch who has fallen from the heavens and wants to become human, a Nicholas Cage for a new generation. If you want to read Hugh Hush, despite negative reviews like “Oh, the humanity,” we have it in the collection.

If you’re ready to swap sparkle for sheen, here are some hot titles featuring nautical protagonists.
The Fins series, starting with Forgive My Fins.

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.

Isn’t a mermaid already half human and half fish? How can one be half human and half mermaid? I guess we’ll have to read to find out!

The Ingo series, starting with Ingo

When the sea called Sapphy’s father, he vanished from her life. When the sea called to her brother, he started to disappear for hours. And now the sea is calling Sapphy and she feels it pulling more strongly than shes ever felt in her life.

Call her Ishmael.

The Emily Windsnap Series, staring with The Tail of Emily Windsnap

For as long as she can remember, twelve-year-old Emily Windsnap has lived on a boat. And, oddly enough, for just as long, her mother has seemed anxious to keep her away from the water. But when Mom finally agrees to let her take swimming lessons, Emily makes a startling discovery.

The Madly Series, starting with Madly & Wolfhardt

Madly is your average nearly-eighteen year old girl—for a mermaid princess, that is.

‘Nuff said.

If you want to stick with a classic, check out Hans Christian Anderson’s The Mermaid. A far cry from Disney’s version, in which the Prince falls in love with the mysterious mute Ariel (Women! If they’re talking they’re nagging, am I right fellas?), here the mermaid must watch her beloved prince marry another, knowing that she herself will die the following day. The 1837 tale, now in public domain, is free to read via Google Books.

Spending summers on the Maine coast where there was a seal to every rock, I’m more interested in selkies of Irish/Scottish folklore, seals that shed their skins to become humans. A new title in the genre is Selkie Girl, that Booklist called appropriately dark, moody, and satisfyingly old-fashioned.

Mermaids are supposed to be jerks, anyways.

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