The Sunday Post - 2020 Week 10 - Spring Forward

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer

and is a chance to share news, both new and old!

Hey there, bloggers!

Happy International Women's Day!

It's been an extra busy week AND it's Daylight Savings Time so I'm waking up early (oh wait, nevermind, it's 8 am already?!) to type this up last minute. 

We fit in extra outdoor time this week despite the chilly weather! It's typical for March; freezing in the shade, hot in the sun.
We went on a nice bike ride by the lakes, exchanged books at a Little Free Library, visited a local nursery for indoor plants, and went to a Florida Springs Festival that had plenty of educational opportunities for my Little. We also saw mermaids and a manatee there!

Our garden is doing wonderfully. We have lots of corn, squash, and beans, and some lettuce, radishes, and beets coming up. All the nurseries and stores around here have been wiped out on veggie seedlings so we did it all from seed this year. Hopefully, we have a good run with them!

Edit To Add: I apologize for the typos in this post. I will be back to edit later.

Currently Reading:

I won Station Eleven in a giveaway from the publisher and ReadItForward but it hasn't hooked me yet so I've also started H.G. Wells' The Invisible Man and I'm also reading a nonfiction from Joel Sartore, called Photo Basics, who photographs animals up close for National Geographic. I love photography so maybe that one will be extra helpful at building my skills. 

Recently Finished:

Chapter Books We've Finished Recently:

Recently Posted Reviews:

We read and shared How To Read A Book by Kwame Alexander & Melissa Sweet for Read Across America Day! It's a lovely bookish poem and perfect for any booklover!

We also read and reviewed Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles by Patricia Valdez & Felicita Sala for World Wildlife Day! 

We borrowed a surprising audio version (with highlighted read along) of We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins and LOVED it! It has lots of humor an adorable T.Rex that has a sweet tooth for humans!

We read and reviewed How To Make A Better World by Keilly Swift for the publisher via Netgalley and loved the brightly illustrated reminders of what you can do to make the world a better place.

I recently reviewed Trevor Noah's 'Born A Crime: Stories From A South African Childhood' and enjoyed it.
I also read and reviewed a Level 1 National Geographic Reader, Susan B. Anthony by Kitson Jazynka for the publisher and shared today on International Women's Day.

What I'm Watching:
I haven't had time to browse for the perfect new show so I'm finishing up You season 2(based on the book b Caroline Kepnes) and I never did finish The Walking Dead since I don't have cable so I'm catching up with that.

What I'm Listening To:

The Midnight - 'Los Angelos'
There's a comment on this video that says this song 'makes me feel like I've fallen in love with someone who doesn't even exist' and I think that's pretty accurate. It gives me the good feels.

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Born A Crime: Stories From A South African Childhood by Trevor Noah (Adult Nonfiction Book Review)

Born A Crime:
Stories From A South African Childhood
by Trevor Noah

Published by Doubleday Canada
on November 15, 2016
Genre: Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir
Length: 285 pages

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Literary Awards:
NAACP Image Award for Debut Author and for Biography / Autobiography (2017)
Thurber Prize for American Humor (2017)
Evergreen Teen Book Award Nominee (2019)
Lincoln Award Nominee (2019)

Synopsis:
The compelling, inspiring, and comically sublime New York Times bestseller about one man's coming-of-age, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed.

 Trevor Noah's unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Born A Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man's relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother--his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life.

The eighteen personal essays collected here are by turns hilarious, dramatic, and deeply affecting. His stories weave together to form a moving and searingly funny portrait of a boy making his way through a damaged world in a dangerous time, armed only with a keen sense of humor and a mother's unconventional, unconditional love.

My Thoughts:
Born during apartheid in South Africa to a black mother and a white father, Trevor Noah's existence was considered a crime. He spent his childhood hidden away from the world and his growing years searching for his place in a divided country. In this humorous coming-of-age story, Noah describes the laws and social norms of apartheid and how he found his place in it.

I almost never watch cable but I've seen The Daily Show a few times and enjoyed Noah's sense of humor. That really shined through the first part of this book as he describes his childhood, his mother's religion and parenting techniques, and how the world treated him as a boy set apart. His mother's religious stories were a hoot but I also enjoyed how much of a powerhouse she was and how she absolutely did her own thing even though it was sometimes illegal. The end of the story has a good lesson in domestic violence.

I enjoyed how Noah picked apart the differences in races during apartheid and how he never quite fit in with one or the other and how differently he was treated because of it but still found his place despite that.  I thought that a lot of his story was quite relatable, perhaps because of our similar age group, or perhaps because I grew up in a small rural town with high racial tension and feel desensitized to its' existence, but nothing in this book really stood out as overly different except maybe the gang-related transportation system. Even the pirated music money hustle was way too familiar.

Also, I noted that other than his humor showing through his writing, there is very little in this book that shares his actual comedy career or what led him to it. I guess I was expecting a little more of what led him to that career but it didn't seem to come up.

Setting:
Johannesburg, South Africa

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How to Make A Better World by Keilly Swift & Rhys Jefferys (Children's Nonfiction Picture Book Review)

I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

How To Make A Better World:
For Every Kid Who Wants to Make A Difference
Written by Keilly Swift
Illustrated by Rhys Jefferys
Published by DK Publishing
on March 5, 2020
Genre: Children's, Nonfiction, Picture Books
Length: 96 pages
Ages: 7 - 9 years

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Synopsis:
If you are a kid with big dreams and a passion for what is right, you're a world-changer in the making.

There's a lot that can be changed by just one person, if you know what to do. Start by making yourself into the awesome person you want to be by learning all about self-care and kindness. Using those skills, work your way up to creating activist campaigns to tackle climate change or social injustice.

This fun and inspiring guide to making the world a better place and becoming a good citizen is packed with ideas and tips for kids who want to know how to make a difference. How to Make a Better World is a practical guide to activism for awesome kids.

My Thoughts:
Have you ever wondered what it takes to make the world a better place or how you could personally make a difference?

How to Make A Better World gives young readers the knowledge and encouragement to start right away, beginning with you, the reader! 

It is made up of four chapters that focus on 'you', 'community', 'humanity', and the 'environment', and is illustrated in fun and expressive ways that keep the extra information entertaining and easy to absorb.

The 'You' chapter focuses on self-care, understanding and overcoming difficult emotions, the power of positive thinking and more! Because you can't help the world if you're not at your best and ready to do so!

The 'Community' chapter encourages making friends, joining clubs, volunteering, celebrating heritage, and shares how your interactions within your community can influence others to change the world as well!

The 'Humanity' chapter focuses on showing kids how they can speak out and express themselves and how to learn about and join in on causes that are important to them, from creating campaigns, fundraisers, or even participating in a protest or march.

The 'Environment' chapter shares how you can make a positive difference through animal activism, green living, and raising awareness about serious issues like plastics in our oceans.

This book is a treasure trove of information! 

There's so much great advice about social interactions, both positive and negative, and how to maneuver them, from friendship fallouts to simple disagreements to bullying. There's lots of positive encouragement to find something you're passionate about and how to get started on making a big difference in the world through small actions.

There's even a spread about Little Free Libraries! Swoon!

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We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins (Children's Picture Book Review)

We Don't Eat Our Classmatesby Ryan T. Higgins
Published by Disney-Hyperion
on June 19, 2018
Genre: Children's, Picture Books
Length: 40 pages
Ages: 3 - 5 years

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Literary Awards:
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Picture Books (2018)
Charlotte Zolotow Award Nominee for Highly Commended (2019)
Monarch Award Nominee (2020)

Synopsis:
Penelope the dinosaur starts school, but it's hard to make friends when her classmates are so delicious!

It's the first day of school for Penelope Rex, and she can't wait to meet her classmates. But it's hard to make human friends when they're so darn delicious! That is, until Penelope gets a taste of her own medicine and finds she may not be at the top of the food chain after all... Readers will gobble up this hilarious new story from award-winning author-illustrator Ryan T. Higgins.

Our Thoughts:

Penelope Rex is ready to start school and make friends but on the first day, she discovers that all of her classmates are children! Penelope Rex thinks children are delicious... so she eats them! This keeps her from making friends but she just can't seem to help herself at all, at least until the class pet takes a bite out of Penelope.

Penelope must learn to control herself in this hilarious picture book by Ryan T. Higgins, who wrote one of our favorite picture book series, Mother Bruce!
This adorable Tyrannosaurus Rex will win your heart and have you laughing out loud at her monstrous appetite and how she reacts to the class pet that wants to eat her!

We've come to love Higgins' illustration style. His characters are always adorable even if they are a bit grumpy (or hungry!) and I love the attention to detail. I could spend a minute imagining myself in the classroom reading nook and Penelope's bedroom was extra adorable! I especially love how diverse Penelope's classmates are!

We borrowed this through Overdrive and it ended up being a narrated digital story that was read to us. We didn't even have to turn the pages! My daughter thought this was extra exciting and listened to it on her own several times in a row. The words are also highlighted as they are being read so it is easy to read along!


More from Ryan T. Higgins:

Mother Bruce

Be Quiet!

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Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor by Patricia Valdez & Felicita Sala (Children's Nonfiction Picture Book Review)

Happy World Wildlife Day!


Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor:
The Woman Who Loved Reptiles
Written by Patricia Valdez
Illustrated by Felicita Sala
Published by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
on March 13, 2018
Genre: Children's, Nonfiction, Picture Books, Biography
Length: 40 pages
Ages: 4 - 8 years

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Literary Awards:
NCTE Orbis Picture Award Nominee (2019)
Monarch Award Nominee (2020)

Synopsis:
For fans of Ada Twist: Scientist comes a fascinating picture book biography of a pioneering female scientist--who loved reptiles!

Back in the days of long skirts and afternoon teas, young Joan Procter entertained the most unusual party guests: slithery and scaly ones, who turned over teacups and crawled past the crumpets...

With a lively text and vibrant illustrations, scientist and writer Patricia Valdez and illustrator Felicita Sala bring to life Joan Procter's inspiring story of passion and determination.

Our Thoughts:

Joan Procter grew up in a time and place where inviting scaly reptile friends to tea was quite unacceptable for a little girl but she preferred carrying around lizards to carrying around dolls. She loved reptiles so much that she even received a baby crocodile for her sixteenth birthday!

Joan spent much of her young adult years at the Natural History Museum, where she furthered her research on reptiles and was hired as the curator's assistant once the war left the museum short-staffed, eventually taking over when the curator retired. She even designed the London Zoo's reptile house, including a new exhibit for the 'rumored-to-be-dangerous' komodo dragons!

This fascinating children's nonfiction picture-book biography shares the fascinating life of Joan Procter who loved reptiles and dedicated her life to learning about and caring for them. 

With fun illustrations featuring plenty of colorful snakes, lizards, and more, this book will delight reptile lovers and encourage all readers, especially young girls, to find something you love and turn it into a lifelong passion. It doesn't matter if no one understands your passion as long as you have it!

This biography includes a lengthy bibliography and an author's note that shares even more details of Joan Procter's life and a little bit more about komodo dragons as well!

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How to Read A Book by Kwame Alexander & Melissa Sweet (Children's Picture Book Review)

How to Read A Book
Written by Kwame Alexander
Art by Melissa Sweet
Published by HarperCollins
on June 18, 2019
Genre: Children's, Picture Books, Poetry
Length: 36 pages
Ages: 4 - 8 years

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Literary Awards:
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Picture Books (2019)

Synopsis:
A poetic journey about the experience of reading.
Find a tree--a
black tupelo or
dawn redwood will do--and
plant yourself.
(It's okay if you prefer a stoop, like Langston Hughes.)

With these words, an adventure begins. Kwame Alexander's poetry and Melissa Sweet's artwork come together to take readers on a journey between the pages of a book.


Our Thoughts:

It's National Read Across America Day so we wanted to share one of our most recent favorite picture books about books!

How to Read A Book is a beautiful poem about books & reading and is a must-own for book lovers and their children!

Paired with amazing and unique artwork that brings the words of the poem to life, this bookish picture book is bursting with color and imagination. The art is a mixed-media collage style with lots of extra bits of old-fashioned typewriter letters and words mixed in as both extra text and texture. The text and lettering of the actual poem are quite unique and entertaining as well.  Every single page holds new artistic discoveries and reminds us that there really isn't only one way to read a book!

This book is a lovely and meditative read that I personally think everyone could enjoy, no matter the age. 

We have encountered Kwame Alexander's poetry once before in the children's nonfiction book, 'Animal Ark', and thought it was so beautiful. How To Read A Book touches even closer to my heart and I will continue to look for Alexander's work in the future because of it. 

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The Sunday Post - 2020 Week 9 - Hello March!

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer

and is a chance to share news, both new and old!

Hello bloggers!

It's March!
I shared my February 2020 Wrap Up yesterday!
 This past week was busy but fun. One of my aunts visited from the other side of the country so we went out to lunch and to a wildlife refuge to see the manatees that hang out at the springs when the weather is colder. We've seen manatees three times in the past two weeks! I've also been trying to get out on little walks if not long hikes so we've been visiting a lot of little parks as well.

I'm excited about Spring! I love it when all the trees are at their brightest! I'm hoping for decent weather and an adventure or two. We started our veggie gardening a little late this year but thanks to the strange weather and rain we've got quite a few seedlings going right now!

Do you have any fun plans this month?


Here's what's on my TBR pile for March:

Recently Finished Reading:

Recently Posted Reviews:

We read and reviewed a few space-related nonfiction picture books this week including Pluto Gets the Call by Adam Rex about Pluto being downgraded to a dwarf planet, Mario and the Hole in the Sky: How A Chemist Saved Our Planet by Elizabeth Rusch, and Sun! One In A Billion by Stacy McAnulty which is part of the Our Universe series!

I also reviewed Peter Kuper's graphic novel adaptation of Joseph Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness'.

What I'm Watching:

I binge-finished Locke & Key at the beginning of the week and then binged I Am Not Okay With This (also on Netflix) about a teen girl with angst problems that turn into serious superhero problems.
I also saw A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, the new movie about Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and Frozen 2 came out this week so I've probably seen that more times than I'd like to share.
If you're wondering what song/s are stuck in my head this week, it's literally every song from Frozen 2. They're playing in my dreams now. smh

Have a great week everyone! Happy reading!

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