Podcast appearances and mentions of cynthia rylant

In today's podcast, Sally tells us about three of her favourite easy reader series. These books are great if you're just starting to learn to read on your own or with a little help: Amelia Bedelia by Herman Parish Danny and the Dinosaur by Bruce Hale Mr. Putter & Tabby by Cynthia Rylant

Don't miss this engaging conversation with a true pet whisperer and devoted librarian, Penny Novotny Bower. Tune in to hear about: - Penny's rescue stories, including the unforgettable Molly Cat and Buddy. - The role of therapy dogs in a school setting. - The comfort and healing found in children's literature. - Practical advice for pet owners, including dealing with pet anxiety during storm Are there any books out there for kids? Are there therapy dogs? Today, we dive into these questions with our special guest, Penny Novotny Bower, a librarian and animal lover who has rescued numerous pets. Penny, a graduate of Bowling Green State University with a Master's in Guidance Counseling from Montclair University and a Master of Library Science from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, shares her inspiring stories. In this episode, Penny recounts her experiences with therapy dogs, including the comforting presence they provided to her school community during a tragic event. She also discusses her beloved rescues, including Buddy, Molly Cat, and a host of others, highlighting her dedication to animal welfare. We'll hear touching stories about Penny's various rescues, her expertise as a librarian, and the impact of children's books like "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse" by Charlie Mackesy and Cynthia Rylant's "Dog Heaven" and "Cat Heaven" in helping kids and adults cope with loss. Support our sponsor for this episode Blue Buffalo by visiting bluebuffalo.com. BLUE Natural Veterinary Diet formulas offer the natural alternative in nutritional therapy. At Blue Buffalo, we have an in-house Research & Development (R&D) team with over 300 years' experience in well-pet and veterinary therapeutic diets, over 600 scientific publications, and over 50 U.S. patents. At Blue Buffalo, we have an in-house Research & Development (R&D) team with over 300 years' experience in well-pet and veterinary therapeutic diets, over 600 scientific publications, and over 50 U.S. patents. All footage owned by SLA Video Productions --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/speakingofpets/message

Rejoin Ragon, Kelly, and guest Dr. Brenna Clarke Gray for their discussion about motherhood in Anne's House of Dreams.  Ragon and Kelly are joined by Dr. Brenna Clarke Gray, Canadian literature expert, to discuss the joys and sorrows of Anne's journey to motherhood in Anne's House of Dreams. We discuss everything from baby talk to our favorite books and gifts for babies. Content warning: Child loss, pregnancy loss, infertility. Be kind to yourselves, Kindred Spirits! Inspired by: We are inspired by baby gifts!   Kelly is inspired by: Maisonette baby bonnets and the beautiful picture book Life by Cynthia Rylant and Brendan Wenzel.   Ragon is inspired by: Tag Blanket Lovey (which you can also find on etsy from independent artists) and picture books like The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Pinkwater and Please, Baby, Please by Spike Lee and Kadir Nelson.   Brenna is inspired by: They All Saw A Cat by Brendan Wenzel and A Is For Activist board book by Innosanto Nagara.   And we all also recommend the BabyLit board books like Alice In Wonderland: Colors Primer and of course, Anne of Green Gables: Places Primer. If you want to get a free logo sticker from us, either leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or share your love for the pod on social media!  Send us a photo of your share or review at either our email: kindredspirits.bookclub@gmail.com or on our KindredSpirits.BookClub Instagram. 

Written by Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Lauren Stringer.

You are halfway through the school year.  Students seem taller and perhaps a bit more mature than when they left only two short weeks ago. Upper grades are likely to focus on testing strategies.  in my state, and maybe everywhere,  that often includes the RACE strategy for writing.  If you aren't familiar, Restate the question Answer the question, Cite evidence from the text, and Explain how the evidence from the text answers the question.  It isn't the writing you always dreamed of teaching, but students must learn how to construct text-dependent answers. For the test. .Good writing instruction becomes good student writing in any form.  Are certain formulas important? I believe so, especially in a testing grade.  Teaching students how to answer those text-dependent questions using a strategy your team and your principal encourage.  Students will feel more capable when faced with tough questions about their reading. But outside of the framework of answering questions, all kinds of possibilities await!  You can teach students to use precise language as Cynthia Rylant did in Missing May.  You can teach students different ways to begin a sentence as Codell did.  You can teach students to use strong verbs rather than ‘got' and 'did' ,  you can teach students to begin each sentence differently.  (Because OFTEN I've seen sentences begin with then…then… or so… so…You can teach students to use specific nouns-I always tell students I can't imagine stuff or things in a closet or backpack -describe and let me see what's in there!  Teach them to write compound and complex sentences. Online phonics diagnostic @whamphonics.comAdditional elementary resources @ https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Whamphonics

Grab your kids and join Heidi and her youngest, Saylor St. John for a sweet Christmas story hour. Listen in as they read Silver Packages by Cynthia Rylant and The Carpenter's Gift by David Rubel. Merry Christmas, friends! Show Notes: https://heidistjohn.com/blog/podcasts/christmas-story-hour-with-saylor-st-john --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/heidistjohn/message

Softly padding through the darkness, Moonlight explores the world on her favorite night, Halloween. The town and countryside glow with shining stars. The wide yellow moon lights pumpkins, racoons, and children out having fun. . . . Told in eloquently simple, lyrical words, with dazzling, luminous paintings, Moonlight evokes not just the excitement of Halloween, but something more -- the reassuring warmth and friendliness that is a special part of this special night. Find this book at Amazon.com or https://amzn.to/3sXzONN --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/slothslovetoread/message

Tula Jane and her Mother in the Wild read "The Relatives Came" by Cynthia Rylant. Purchase your own copy here: https://amzn.to/3t4Z7NQ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mother-in-the-wild/message

Join Mrs. Totty in story-time as she reads "Snow" a book by Cynthia Rylant and Illustrated by Lauren Stringer, selected from our library! Kids and Parents can read along with us, in this read aloud story time! Be sure to check out your local Library to check out what books they may have! Original background track is Drops of Melting Snow by Axletree, music from the freemusicarchive.org https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Axletree/music-from-a-hampshire-farm-ongoing-project/drops-of-melting-snow-after-holst-abroad-as-i-was-walking/ Drops of Melting Snow (after Holst, Abroad as I was walking) by Axletree is licensed under a Attribution 4.0 International License. Alterations were made by us to make it fit the length of our content. Brought to you from the Pike-Amite-Walthall Library system #library #books #pawlskids #kidsstorytime

The Hugh-Rise Private Eyes #5, by Cynthia Rylant

High-Rise Private Eyes #6, by Cynthia Rylant

The High-Rise Private Eyes case #1, by Cynthia Rylant

Our Guest: Valerie Brandt. Find a free literary database containing books we’ve discussed here:Links on our website are often affiliate links- they don’t cost you any extra to use but they greatly help support the costs of running this site. To find the affiliate links from this episode please click here. Thank you- we truly appreciate it! Featured books in this episode:Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James (Amanda’s beach read)Beach Read by Emily Henry- (aVal’s bawdy rom-com beach read)Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine MayGrown and Flown by Lisa Heffernan Mary Dell HarringtonAdulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 535 Easy(ish) Steps by Kelly Williams Brown (Content Considerations: Language)Sweet People are Everywhere by Alice WalkerThe Bargain Bride by Evelyn Sibley Lampman (Ambre also referred to Three Knocks on the Wall and Princess of Fort Vancouver, though not by name)The Memory Box: A Book About Grief by Joanna Rowland and Thea BakerThe Treasure Box by Dave Keane, illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell.All Along You Were Blooming: Thoughts for Boundless Living by Morgan Harper NicholsLife by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Brendan Wenzel Inside Cat by Brendan Wenzel They All Saw A Cat by Brendan WenzelOh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr. SeussUnbetrothed by Candice Pedraza Yamnitz Monster in the Hollows (Wingfeather Saga book 3) by Andrew PetersonAlexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr: Their lives, their times, their duel by Anna Erskine Crouse and Russell Crouse (a Landmark book)Thomas Jefferson, His Many Talents by Johanna JohnstonRebecca by Daphne du Maurier Almost Nothing, yet Everything: A Book about Water by Hiroshi Osada, illustrated by Ryoji AraiA Drop Of Water: A Book of Science and Wonder by Walter Wick13 Ways to Kill Your Community by Doug Griffiths (Val mentioned this one in passing but we didn’t get around to discussing it)Here’s a link to the article Ambre still wants to finish reading on Motherhood as a Hero’s Journey.We’d love to hear what you’re been reading this summer!Have any books especially touched you on the topics of grief or mental health? We’d love to hear about them!-If your kids/teens have a book they would like to pitch to our community, please submit their brief reviews to StoriesFromTheAshesPodcast@gmail.com. Include their first name, last initial, and age. Thank you! (It’s absolutely fine to submit a review for a book we reviewed already in an episode- we want to hear their voices!)GIVEAWAY DETAILS: For every 5 reviews left, we will give away a book recommended on one of our podcasts! To enter, leave a review on your podcast player of choice or in the comments here and email StoriesFromTheAshesPodcast@gmail.com! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.reshelvingalexandria.com

The High-Rise Private Eyes case #3 by Cynthia Rylant

The High-rRse Private Eyes #2 by Cynthia Rylant

The High-Rise Private Eyes #8 by Cynthia Rylant

The High-Rise Private Eyes #4 by Cynthia Rylant

On this week's encore episode of Inside Appalachia, we're dedicating the show to children's authors. Hear from Cynthia Rylant, author of “When I Was Young In The Mountains,” “Messy Larry” author David J. Perri and storytelling champion Bil Lepp reading from his children's book “The Princess And The Pickup Truck.”

On this week's encore episode of Inside Appalachia, we're dedicating the show to children's authors. Hear from Cynthia Rylant, author of “When I Was Young In The Mountains,” “Messy Larry” author David J. Perri and storytelling champion Bil Lepp reading from his children's book “The Princess And The Pickup Truck.” We'll also hear Lyn Ford -- a professional storyteller and children's educator -- telling a story she wrote, called "The Old Woman and Death." We learn that while these stories are written for children, they carry messages for all of us, even grown-ups.

Here is another book about each month's full moon. Can your little one notice any differences from the names in last week's episode? This book was written by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Mark Siegel. It was published by Simon and Schuster in 2004.

Cynthia Rylant

Cynthia Rylant

This is a short story by Cynthia Rylant.

Cynthia Rylant

Cynthia Rylant

Cynthia Rylant

Cynthia Rylant

Cynthia Rylant

Cynthia Rylant

have you read the book "the relatives came" by cythia rylant & stephen gammel?! oh it is so fun and wonderfully shows all the beauty & craziness that comes when we spend time with family. during the holidays i learned so much being with family members. here are 5 of the life lessons and epiphanies i pondered & gleaned. we learn so much from family -- whether it's our immediate family, extended family, and even our worldwide human family. thank goodness for this life experiment and learning journey we get to take together!click for show notes, links & photosLEAVE ME FEEDBACK: - what should i talk about next?  let me know in the comments below. - did you enjoy this episode?  if so, leave me a review!CONNECT WITH ME:katrinaberg.cominstagram @katrina.bergemail: k@katrinaberg.comjoin my SWEETlist

A descriptive fun and beautifully illustrated story so appropriate for Thanksgiving gatherings!

Cynthia Rylant

Cynthia Rylant

Cynthia Rylant

Cynthia Rylant

Stories read by kids for kids.

This week we're revisiting an episode of Inside Appalachia that features children's authors in and from our region. We'll hear Cynthia Rylant, who wrote "When I Was Young In The Mountains," David Perri, author of "Messy Larry," and Bil Lepp reading from his recent children's book "The Princess And The Pickup Truck," and Lyn Ford, a professional storyteller and children's educator, telling a story she wrote called "The Old Woman and Death." And while these stories were written for children, like many children's stories, these stories have messages for all of us, including grown-ups.

Era uma vez uma velhinha que já não tinha nenhum amigo, pois todos eles haviam morrido. Por isso, ela começou a dar nome às coisas que durariam mais que ela: sua casa, seu carro, sua poltrona. Até o dia em que um cachorrinho apareceu no seu portão. Então, a velhinha acaba dando um nome ao cachorrinho, mesmo correndo o risco de sobreviver a ele. Escrito por Cynthia Rylant, ilustrado por Kathryn Brown, traduzido por Gilda de Aquino, e publicado no Brasil pela Brinque-Book. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/denise32/message

On this West Virginia Morning, a bill that would create an intermediate court of appeals is one step closer to the governor’s desk. Also, we have a conversation with an economics professor on the potential impacts of the American Rescue Plan in West Virginia, and we hear the second part of an interview with prolific children’s book author Cynthia Rylant, who spent her formative years in the Mountain State.

On this West Virginia Morning, we have a report on a large coronavirus outbreak in Kanawha County Schools, news updates from the West Virginia Legislature, and a report on the lack of COVID-19 vaccines in state jails and prisons. Also, in this show, we hear from children’s author Cynthia Rylant who was raised in West Virginia. Inside Appalachia co-host Mason Adams speaks with Rylant about her first book and West Virginia’s influence on the story.

This week’s episode of Inside Appalachia features several children's authors, including Cynthia Rylant, David Perri, Bil Lepp, and Lyn Ford. And while these stories were written for children, like many children's stories, each have messages for all of us, including grown-ups.

Today's Bible event reminds me of a kooky book THE RELATIVES CAME by Cynthia Rylant and with fantastic illustrations by Stephen Gammell. It is a "Children's" book that adults will laugh out loud reading. Distant crazy relatives come to visit and are warmly welcomed. You are part of the family! Welcome home! (The sleepover page is just visually HILARIOUS)In the Bible, distant, different, distinct, scared, respectful relatives come to do what they are obligated to do in Jerusalem. They WANT TO SEE JESUS. Is He the Son of the God they have come to worship? Apparently, their quest is taken sincerely by both the disciples and Jesus. "I am here this week to save the world by dying the worst death possible, but I will have an audience specifically with these non-Jews."So if you feel like some crazy relative visiting this foreign land of God, WELCOME HOME. You are not the first to feel its strangeness. You are not the first to request and entry into a kingdom that is quite "other." The children's book is $4.79 on Amazon and is recommended. The real story as distant relatives of Jesus are welcomed is PRICELESS and is HIGHLY recommended. Get the book. Get the "welcome home" you've been longing for by visiting God today. Please LISTEN and Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Follow on Podcast Addict and Spotify.

Are you guilty of spoon feeding your students ideas for what to write? I'm right there with you! We have all done it. We all have those students who just sit there, stare at the wall and say, “I don't know what to write.” Often we just intend to give them a quick idea or two as a spring board for their writing pieces, but more often than not, we can find ourselves verbally writing the whole piece for them.  Of course we do it because we just want them to be successful.  We don't want them to feel frustrated and shut down, so we just give them the whole kitchen sink.But - giving our students all the ideas prohibits them from developing the skill of how to generate their own writing ideas — a skill they will need not just in your classroom, but always.   When we teach students strategies for developing their own writing ideas, we give our students the freedom to write about their own topics of interest and give them permission to be inspired on their own for what to write about. And, in the end, that's what will make them LOVE writing. In today's episode, I want to give you some simple writing strategies to help your students generate their own ideas for writing.  For complete show notes visit:  classroomnook.com/podcast/52-------------------LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODEResource for Picture Illustration is the book, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg.Resource for Watermelon Seed Writing is the book, The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant.Grab my FREE Teacher's Guide to Writer's Workshop in my Member's Resource Library.Watermelon Graphic Organizer from my Getting Started in Writers Workshop unit Episode 31: How to Use a Reader's and Writer's Notebook in the Upper Elementary Classroom 

História para crianças.

We’re Ellie and Traci, two bookish friends who read in every spare minute that we have!  In this episode, we will talk about our favorite read alouds!  Join us at instagram @literally_reading.  What we are Literally Reading: 1:49 - Home Before Dark by Riley Sager (Ellie) 1:59 - Lock Every Door by Riley Sager 3:18 - The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix  3:49 - Atomic Love by Jennie Fields (Traci) What we are Literally Listening To: 5:42 - The Last Guest House by Megan Miranda (Ellie) 6:04 - A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost (Ellie) 7:35 - A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (Traci) 9:56 - Sadie by Courtney Summers Kid Lit Read Alouds: 12:42 - Dory Fantasmagory by Abby Hanlon 16:14 - Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin Preschool: 17:43 - Sneeches by Dr. Suess 18:40 - If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff 19:14 - Nanette’s Baguette by Mo Willems 19:29 - Richard Scary Books 20:42 - Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney 21:08 - Peter Spier books: Noah’s Ark, Circus, Jonah, Christmas 22:25 - This is How We Do It by Matt Lamonthe 23:00 - How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight by Jane Yolen 23:35 - Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug by Jonathan Stutzman 23:49 - Tiny T. Rex and the Very Dark Dark by Jonathan Stutzman  Kinder/1st: 24:33 - Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White 25:40 - Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins 26:26 - Nobody Likes a Goblin by Ben Hatke  26:27 - Julia’s House for Lost Creatures by Ben Hatke 26:40 - Julia’s House Moves On by Ben Hatke 27:03 - We Don’t Eat our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins 27:59 - Beautiful Oops! By Barney Saltzberg 28:53 - Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban 29:45 - The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak  30:45 - Penny by Kevin Henkes 30:50 - Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes 30:52 - Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes  31:54 - Frog and Toad Books by Arnold Lobel 32:40 - Mouse and Mole by Wong Yee 32:43 - Henry and Mudge by Cynthia Rylant  Early Elementary:  33:23 - Gooney Bird-Greene by Lois Lowry 33:58 - The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis 34:26 - Half Magic by Edward Eager  35:10 - Freckle Juice by Judy Blume 35:34 - My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett 35:49 - Ramona Quimby Books by Beverly Cleary  35:52 - The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary 36:02 - Matilda by Roald Dahl 36:04 - James and the Giant Peach Roald Dahl 36:06 - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Roald Dahl Community Recommendations: The Penderwicks  Where the Sidewalk Ends  The Lion & the Mouse  Pippi Longstocking! Baa Baa Smart Sheep  The Berenstain Bear books Smithsonian - The Animal Box  Kid Reading Goals: 39:16 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Traci) 41:11 - Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White (Ellie) 41:12 - Beatrice Zinker Upside Down Thinker by Shelley Johannes (Ellie)

Un San Valentín Bilingüe: Como ya contaba hace mucho, cualquier fecha destacada es una buena oportunidad para practicar vocabulario. Y como el peque ya es más grande hemos pensado que para este año, vamos celebrar un San Valentín con varias actividades.Cook: Ya que en casa somos muy realfood, que mejor que hacer alguna receta saludable con forma de corazón :) os dejo aquí varias recetas que he encontrado.Heart Kabobs with Fruits: Make It1.Cut fruit into 1-inch-thick slices. Using a small heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut hearts from melon slices. Poke a hole in each heart with a toothpick, going from top to bottom. Then thread fruit on ice-pop sticks.Make dip:2.Stir together yogurt, orange juice concentrate, and honey until well combined. Serve with hearts.White Chocolate Raspberry Valentine’s Smoothie:Ingredients1 tbsp white chocolate chips1/2 cup nonfat vanilla greek yogurt3/4 cup frozen raspberries1 cup almond milk or milk of choice1/2 cup ice (only if using fresh raspberries)Fresh raspberries for garnish (optional)InstructionsIn a small microwave safe bowl, heat white chocolate chips about 30 seconds and stir until smooth and melted through. Set aside to cool slightly.Add all ingredients, including melted chocolate, to a blender (or bullet, food processor, etc). Blend until smooth.Pour into glasses and top with fresh berries. Enjoy!Chocolate Fruit Crisp for Two:Ingredients2 cups fresh or frozen fruit (I used a combination of cherries, strawberries, and raspberries)1 tablespoon arrowroot starchpinch sea salt1 heaping teaspoons orange zest1 tablespoon fresh orange juiceTopping2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut2 tablespoons walnuts¼ cup almond flour1 tablespoon coconut flour1 tablespoon cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder)1½ tablespoon coconut oil2 large dates, pittedpinch sea saltInstructionsPreheat the oven to 350 degrees F.In a bowl toss the fruit with the arrowroot, salt, orange zest and juice to coat.Divide the fruit into two 8 ounce oven safe dishes.In a food processor add to topping ingredients and pulse until ingredients are just incorporated and forms a moist but crumbly mixture (just enough to chop the dates/walnuts and mix in the coconut oil).Divide the topping evenly on top of the two fruit dishes.Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until slightly bubbly and topping is set and golden.Serve immediately, at room temperature, or cold from the fridge.Books: Ya os he hablado muchas veces de la importancia de la lectura, los cuentos y su rutina. Así que para esta ocasión toca leer sobre el amor, os dejo varios títulos sobre esta temática para los más peques que he encontrado en el blog de themeasuredmom.Here Comes Valentine Cat, by Deborah Underwood https://amzn.to/3but90cSomebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch, by Eileen Spinelli https://amzn.to/2vny7LIHugs from Pearl, by Paul Schmid https://amzn.to/2UJZmuwRoses Are Red, Your Feet Really Stink, by Diane DeGroat https://amzn.to/2UKoW2EPlant a Kiss, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal https://amzn.to/2SliHkfHappy Valentine’s Day, Dolores, by Barbara Samuels https://amzn.to/2Heqx8HElmore, by Holly Hobbie https://amzn.to/2OLaUd23Duck Hippo: The Secret Valentine, by Jonathan London https://amzn.to/37j8M2ROne Zillion Valentines, by Frank Modell https://amzn.to/2Si1yrBThe Day It Rained Hearts, by Felicia Bond https://amzn.to/31MOg9tThe Ballad of Valentine, by Alison Jackson https://amzn.to/3bGbPFMHug Machine, by Scott Campbell https://amzn.to/38k6EJjIf You’ll Be My Valentine, by Cynthia Rylant https://amzn.to/31MOrBFThe Runaway Valentine, by Tina Casey https://amzn.to/2SieduCThe Valentine Bears, by Eve Bunting https://amzn.to/3bycCbKMr. Goat’s Valentine, by Eve Bunting https://amzn.to/2OMUVeuSlugs in Love, by Susan Pearson https://amzn.to/37keyBhY por último algo de TV en VOSE: Y para esta ocasión veremos una vez más el especial Valentin's Day de True and the Rainbow Kindom, una de sus series favoritasRegálale una segunda lengua a tus hijos sin esfuerzo, a través del método NADICA basado en la crianza bilingüe en casa. Suscríbete a los cursos de bilingüismo en casa.en los que aprenderás con el equipo de teachers a introducir un segundo idioma en casa y mejorar tu inglés.

We have a guest reader today! Harper is joining us to read you the first chapter of her favorite book, Henry and Mudge by Cynthia Rylant.

Thanksgiving ramblings and a synopsis, discussing seasons of life and the challenges we find within each season. In this episode, Katrina shares memories and examples of the opportunities and constraints seen throughout her life that helped a situation with her 12 year-old daughter, the challenge it presented in their relationship, and how she sought to better understand her daughter's perspective so they can continue to learn and grow together. Mentioned in this episode: "The Relatives Came" by Cynthia Rylant (a children's book) Public Surplus Upcoming Art Shows: November 29th - 100 DOLLAR SHOW, Springville Art Museum, Springville, UT, 6:30-8 pm November 30th - "EFFETS DE NEIGE", BDAC, Bountiful, UT (reception 6 - 8 pm, show up till Dec. 30th) Artists: Nancy Andruk Olson, Annie Kershishnik Blake, Candace Rideout, Megan Hayes, Greg Newbold, et moi December 1st - REFUGEE BENEFIT ART SALE, Laura & Steve Ricks home, 1292 Cedar Ave, Provo UT (preview 6-7, sale 7-8 pm) December 7th - HONORING UTAH ARTISTS, Alpine Art, Salt Lake City, UT (reception dec 7th 6-9pm, show up till first week of January) December 7th & 8th - CHRISTMAS ART SALE & DEMONSTRATION, Midway Art Association, Midway Community Center, 160 West Main Street, Midway, UT (Friday 11 am - 6 pm and Saturday 10 am - 5 pm) Till January 16th - 33rd ANNUAL SPIRITUAL & RELIGIOUS SHOW, Springville Art Museum, Springville, UT ==> connect with katrina

It’s one of our irregular “other media” episodes! This time we talk about French language books, dinosaurs, beetles, breakfast cereal, children’s books, and more! You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | RJ Edwards Media We Talked About Le bonhomme de neige * by Jo Nesbø Une longue canicule * by Anne Villeneuve Le jardin d'Amsterdam * by Linda Amyot Invasions by Calvin Gimpelevich Woman World by Aminder Dhaliwal Amdiner Dhaliwal’s Instagram Last of the Sandwalkers by Jay Hosler “While there are 250,000 described species of plants, 12,000 described species of roundworms, and only 4,000 described species of mammals, there are over 350,000 beetle species described, with many more beetles yet to be discovered!” - source Plus on est de fou plus on lit The Empty Bowl podcast Which Witch is Witch podcast (Stitcher) Good Mythical Morning YouTube: Manufacturing Authenticity (For Fun and Profit!) by Lindsay Ellis Transformers and Film Studies | The Whole Plate - Episode 1 Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day by Seanan McGuire Quackers by Liz Wong Big Cat, Little Cat by Elisha Cooper Families, Families, Families! by Suzanne Lang Life by Cynthia Rylant and  Brendan Wenzel Dinosaur Kisses by David Ezra Stein I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean! by Kevin Sherry Get Fuzzy by Darby Conley Read the comic Jerktastic Park A Square Meal: A Culinary History of the Great Depression by Jane Ziegelman and  Andrew Coe Fence, vol. 1 by C.S. Pacat and Johanna the Mad *French capitalization convention is to only capitalize the first word in a title unless is otherwise normally gets a capital. Other Media We Mention Hark! The Holiday Music Podcast Dragon Ball Apparently nobody ever says “This isn’t even my final form” in the anime. Meanwhile, Elsewhere: Science Fiction and Fantasy from Transgender Writers Y: The Last Man by by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra Clan Apis by Jay Hosler Irish People Taste Test New Zealand Snacks The Scottish Granny reads The Wonky Donkey Comic Book Implosion: An Oral History of DC Comics Circa 1978 by Keith Dallas and  John Wells Links, Articles, and Things instar books (summon a demon!) Brands Are Not Our Friends (article in The Atlantic) Steak-umm’s new marketing strategy: millennial angst with a side of meat puns Check out our Pinterest board and Tumblr posts, follow us on Twitter, join our Facebook Group, or send us an email! Join us again on Tuesday, October 16th when we’ll be talking about our “genre” of cheap ebooks! Then on Tuesday, November 6th, we’ll talk about video games.

Intro   Hello and welcome to Books Between - a podcast all about celebrating children’s literature! If you are a teacher, parent, or librarian who wants to help connect kids between 8-12 to books they will love - then you are in the right spot!  I am your host, Corrina Allen - a 5th grade teacher, a mum of an 8 and 10 year old, and baking brownies and bundt cakes and obviously binge-watching a little bit too much of the Great British Baking Show lately. And I will apologise to my British listeners for this atrocious accent. On the other hand, I do rather blame your show for my potentially not fitting into any of my school clothes since I have been craving nothing but carbs… So, if you hear me slip into a weird Britishesque accent today - I’m sorry. Too much Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry in my head!   This is Episode #31 and Today is all about exceptional anthologies and collections that your middle grade readers are going to love.   Main Topic - Exceptional Anthologies and Short Story Collections Today we are talking all about anthologies and short story collections. First off, we’ll begin with definitions. I used to think those were interchangeable terms but I have come to realize they are not. Then, I’ll share with you some fabulous titles you might want to check out, including some really, really exceptional new releases. Then we’ll chat about some reasons why you should consider including more anthologies and short story collections in your school or classroom library. Definitions   According to my favorite dictionary (Merriam-Webster - mainly because they have a hilarious Twitter account!) an anthology is “a collection of selected literary pieces or passages or works of art or music” and then it goes on to say “a published collection of writings (such as poems or short stories) by different authors”   And that’s the key - anthologies include stories by different authors! The Guys Read Series is a good example of this.   On the other hand, a collection is a book of selected writings (maybe poems, maybe short stories, maybe essays…) all by the same author. Cynthia Rylant’s Every Living Thing is an example you might know.   But….I will say, I see those terms used as synonyms A LOT.   Fantastic Anthologies and Collections To Add to Your Library   And now - a selection - a sampling - a smorgasbord of anthologies and collections to add to your library or introduce to your children. And before we begin, I just want to give a huge thank you to everyone who offered ideas for this list when I put out a call on Twitter and Facebook for suggestions. In particular, you will not be surprised to know that Donalyn Miller was on it with a fabulous list of suggestions.   Let’s start with some classics and older releases.   Best Shorts: Favorite Short Stories to Share This anthology was but together by Avi and includes stories by Natalie Babbitt, Rafe Martin, Lloyd Alexander, and lots more.  And it includes a great mix of time travel, and animal stories, and legends and a touch of the supernatural. In particular, “The Woman in White” by Patricia McKissack is one to check out.   Every Living Thing by Cynthia Rylant This is a collection of 12 stories - each one about how people’s lives are changed by an animal. This is a classic collection - and if you have kids who are animal lovers, this is definitely one they might enjoy.   Gary Soto has a number of incredible collections - Baseball in April and Local News are among the ones that would be good for middle grade readers.   My Life in Dog Years by Gary Paulsen Up until last year, Hatchet was on our 5th grade required reading list and for those kids that really connected with that book, this collection was a great next book for them. Each story centers around Paulsen’s relationship with a special dog in his life. So this are also great examples of smaller memoirs.   Another great dog anthology is Because of Shoe edited by Ann M. Martin who also contributes a piece. This one features nine fictional stories that appeal to a variety of age ranges.   The People Could Fly  by Virginia Hamilton Oh how I loved this book when it first came out! This is a collection of 24 retellings of black American folk tales - everything from animal stories to supernatural tales to stories of enslaved men and women seeking freedom.   In a similar vein, Patricia McKissack has two collections worth checking out -  Dark Thirty and it’s companion, which she wrote later, Porch Lies. Dark Thirty includes ten horror-themed stories with a Southern Historical flavor. And Porch Lies still has that eerie quality but also more humor.  If you have a child that likes the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Series, these would be a couple books to put in their hands next.   Then there is Red Ridin’ in the Hood by Patricia Santos Marcantonio. This one was strongly recommend by Matthew Winner and with one quick glance at the description online, I can see why. This is a collection of eleven classic fairy tales retold with a twist of Latino culture. Let me read you the description of the title story: "Red Ridin' in the Hood," moves the setting to the barrio, where Red decides to brave dangerous Forest Street in order to reach her abuelita and encounters the menacing wolf in a thumping Chevy lowrider.” I have GOT to get my hands on that!   If your students or children are into graphic novels, there are several really great collections.   The Comic Squad Series have been favorites with my 5th graders. Right now there are three of them - Recess, Lunch, and Detention which just came out last month so I need to pick that one up before heading back to school.   Also - definitely check out Fairy Tale Comics! This is a very cool collection with some awesomely weird stories in it. If your kids like that one, there is also Fable Comics and Nursery Rhyme Comics.   So - if your students and children are like mine, they LOVE the Amulet Series by Kazu Kibuishi. And I recently discovered - again thanks to Matthew Winner - that he has edited a series of graphic novel anthologies called the Explorer Series. (Why have I not heard of these before? They look incredible!) Each of the three books has a different theme. So the first is “Mystery Boxes”, the second is “Lost Islands” and the third one is “Hidden Doors”. The list of comic contributors is outstanding -  like Raina Telgemeier, Faith Erin Hicks, Dave Roman, Jen Wang…. I gotta go get these! Been There, Done That - is a really special anthology which has fictional stories by award-winning and best-selling authors and also includes the real-life story that inspired those narratives.  I LOVE how this could show kids how you can mine your own life for stories. This is one of those books that I’m like - how did this get by me? This is GREAT!   The Guys Read Series - This group of seven anthologies is edited by Jon Scieszka and each one has a different theme like Terrifying Tales, The Sports Pages, Other Worlds, Funny Business, and the most recent one Heroes & Villains. And, despite their name, they include stories by both men and women. For example, Dan Gutman, Kelly Barnhill, Matt de la Peña, Neal Shusterman, Shannon Hale, and so so many more!   And now onto some really fabulous new collections and anthologies that your kids are going to love.   The Time We Ran Away  - This anthology is put out by Scholastic and I think is offered as the free book for Book Club orders over $50 this September.  It includes eleven short stories by best-selling authors like Angela Cervantes, Sarah Weeks, and Dan Gemeinhart.  I can’t seem to find it anywhere else (yet) so I think you’re going to have to get this one through Scholastic for now. https://clubs.scholastic.com/the-time-we-ran-away-10-book-pack/9781338253467-rco-us.html   Flying Lessons   This anthology edited by Ellen Oh includes new stories by Kwame Alexander, Kelly Baptist, Tim Tingle, Grace Lin among so many others. It was released last January.  And I got it the day it came out and had wonderful intentions of reading it right away. And then - how can you say no to a line of kids reading over your shoulder and wanting to borrow it? So - all I can say is that what I read was good and it was passed from kid to kid to kid until school let out. Clearly - it’s a winner.   Another new anthology that I LOVED this summer was Our Story Begins: Your Favorite Authors and Illustrators Share Fun, Inspiring, and Occasionally Ridiculous Things They Wrote and Drew As Kids . Well - that pretty much says it all! This book is edited by Elissa Brent Weissman and I especially loved the images of the author’s hand written stories and diary entries and sketches from when they were young. And also hearing about the inspiration of a new typewriter or a teacher’s supportive comment on a report card or the chance to enter a writing contest. It’s fascinating to see the beginnings of these 25 writers’ journeys.     If you have students who like something a little dark, a little twisted - then Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods by Hal Johnson is one they are going to love being scared by. This collection is “20 Chilling Tales from the Wilderness”  told from the perspective of a cryptozoologist - a person who studies legendary beasts like Big Foot or the chupacabras. One reviewer called these “faux-lore” which is perfect.  My ten-year old and I really love listening to the podcast Lore together and I think this will really be up her alley. It comes out August 22nd so be on the lookout for that next week.   And finally - Funny Girl - edited by Betsy Bird. In fact, in our very next episode, I have the great pleasure of sharing with you a conversation with Betsy Bird about this book and LOTS of other things.  We talk a fair amount about it  in our interview so I think I’ll just say here that you should definitely go get it. It is truly laugh out loud funny. And oh do we need some humor in our lives. So definitely get this one and I’m...I’m hoping for a Volume 2! 7 Reasons Why You Should Include More Anthologies and Collections   I am going to say up front that I don’t have a ton of these in my classroom. But - I loved them as a child and I’ve noticed lately that my own daughters have been picking more and more of them up. I thought - I need to really expand that part of our library. So here are 7 reasons why you might want to consider including more anthologies and collections.   Anthologies are gateways to discovering other amazing authors. So a child might pick up Guys Read: Funny Business and be drawn to the Jeff Kinney story,  “Unaccompanied Minors” but then get introduced to the amazing Christopher Paul Curtis or David Lubar and suddenly discover their new favorite author. On the other hand, a collection of writing pieces all by one author is great when you want to go more in depth and dig into everything they have to offer. Often authors who are known for, say, novels or a certain genre - will play around in short pieces and try something new. Like poetry or a personal essay. I feel like a collection gives you a good sense of who an author is and more of a window into their life. Anyone who loves Gary Paulsen should read My Life in Dog Years. Anthologies and collections can help kids gain some reading traction if their stamina hasn’t been so great. They can get that satisfaction of finishing a story or an essay in a short amount of time and start to build up to longer texts. Especially at the beginning of the year or after a break, starting with something shorter can be a great idea. When I’ve had reading lulls in my ownlife, short stories can really kick-start me again. They are great for trying out new genres and new formats without the investment in a longer novel. My youngest daughter wouldn’t necessarily pick up a biography but she LOVED Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls. And although most of my students really love graphic novels, I’ve had more than few turn up their noses at that format. So I’ve handed them books like Comic Squad or Fairy Tale Comics and ask them to just try one story. Anthologies and collections introduce a greater variety of stories and perspectives into your life. On the last episode when I was chatting with Jillian Heise about #ClassroomBookADay, I was thinking about how reading a picture book each day can bring more so much more diversity into a classroom. And collections can do the same thing. In fact I was talking with my husband about this last night and he said it perfectly, “Would you rather get a box of all the same chocolates or would you rather get sampler with a dozen different flavors?” Yeah - I’m going for the flavors! And I might leave the cashew cluster for someone else, but that’s okay. Coming at this from a teacher’s point of view, reading the short stories and essays found in anthologies and collections are wonderful to offer as models for students’ own writing. With my 5th graders, we use the TCWRP Units of Study and our first writing unit is Narratives. And of course, I want to give them lots of examples and mentor texts. So I’ll take the first couple of weeks to read to them lots and lots of short narratives to really imprint in their mind what a good narrative sounds like and feels like. What the pacing and plotting is like in all kinds of narratives - from funny to serious. And finally - anthologies and collections are perfect for when you don’t want to jump into a long book yet or you only have little snippets of time to read.  I think they are great for traveling. If you’re on the bus or a plane, you can finish a full a story and don’t have to worry about rereading to pick back up the threads of a plot. In a classroom, if students are in book clubs and a couple members of the group have fallen behind in their reading and need to catch up, you don’t want the other students to start a new novel. So offering them a book like Flying Solo or Funny Girl is a great option. Closing   Okay - that wraps up our show this week. We have some great interviews and book talks coming up. Next week is the amazing Betsy Bird. And after that you can look forward to a conversations with Celia Perez about The First Rule of Punk and Danielle Davis - author of Zinnia and the Bees. I’ll also be chatting about Jason Reynold’s Patina and some really great new graphic novels. So be on the lookout for those.   And, if you have a question or an idea about a topic we should cover, I would love to hear from you. You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or connect on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between.   Thank you so much for joining me this week. You can find an outline of interviews and a full transcript of all the other parts of our show along with all of our previous episodes at AlltheWonders.com.     And, if you like what you hear and value the podcast, please leave a quick review or rating on iTunes or Stitcher.   Thanks again and see you soon!  Bye!

My booktalk of Cynthia Rylant and Brendan Wenzel's LIFE. This is a must read picture book.

Intro Hi everyone! Welcome to Books Between - a podcast for teachers, parents, librarians, and you! Thanks for joining us today! This is a show all about middle grade books, and raising enthusiastic readers.   I am Corrina Allen. I’ve been teaching for over 13 years mainly grades 5 and 6. And I am a mother of two girls. And we just celebrated my oldests 10th birthday this weekend. She got her ears pierced and I had an amazing FAIL attempting to make a pink and blue checkerboard cake for her. Pictures are on Twitter if you want to see the carnage. All I gotta say is that Wegmans came through in the clutch with an amazing vanilla whipped cream cannoli filled caked. This is Episode #20 and today we are discussing the new Beauty & the Beast live action movie and featuring two brand new sweet contemporary fiction novels. Announcement - Book Drive But first, I have a quick announcement and an opportunity to do something really kind. Some of you may have heard the story about the Pleasant Run Elementary robotics team called the PantherBots. They were competing at their district's high school among a bunch of other schools and got first place. And during the competition and after the challenge as they were leaving and in the parking lot, this group of 9 and 10 year olds and their families, were told “Go back to Mexico” and subjected to other racist comments. Two of the kids are African-American and three are Latino. So - the reason that I am bringing this to our attention is that author Shannon Hale is calling for a book drive in support of the team and the school. I’ll link to her page  directly, if you want more details, but let me read to you her request: Hey friends! Like me, many of you were horrified by this news report: We want to show love for this school and their outstanding robotics team in the form of a book drive. This is a Title 1 school with a very diverse population. Authors, you can sign books to Pleasant Run. Anyone else who can donate is much appreciated! Picture books, early readers, chapter books, and middle grade books most welcome, especially those written by and featuring people of color. Also early readers in Spanish would be a bonus as they have a dual immersion language program for some kindergarten classes. Mail books to: Pleasant Run Elementary 1800 N Franklin Rd Indianapolis, IN 46219 If you have books more appropriate for middle or high school, this diverse district would love those too! And then Shannon lists their address which again, I will link to for you. I saw that and I knew that you all would want to help. Maybe you have a book on your desk or bookshelf right now that you could spare. Hey - send it media mail - it’s cheap. For a couple of bucks you can let this community know that they are supported, we have their back, and do something tangible to bend that arc toward justice. So, I’m going to get on that this week and mail out some awesome books, and I hope you will, too.   Main Topic - Beauty & the Beast Today I’ll be giving a brief overview and review of the new live-action version of the familiar fairy tale, listing a few other versions middle grade readers might want to check out, and discussing some ways you could do some analysis and comparing with your kids and students.   Have you ever been to a Movie Tavern? They recently opened one up near us and it is decadently wonderful. You can have a full meal, maybe a cocktail (I personally like the milkshakes), and enjoy a movie while you relax in a recliner. It is everything that is wrong and right with America.   Anyway - my mother treated myself and my sister-in-law and my kids to a girls’ brunch and Beauty and the Beast viewing last weekend, and I thought I’d let you all know how it is. I’m making the assumption that you’re familiar with the story so expect a couple plot spoilers.   First off, I do want to acknowledge that the Beauty & the Beast story is - shall we say “problematic”?  I enjoyed the Disney version when it came out when I was a teenager, but later as an adult the sexist and kind of abusive aspects of it always rubbed me the wrong way. So, I was looking forward to seeing how this new movie featuring Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast chose to depict the story. So here are my thoughts: I loved the opening which shows the prince (played by Dan Stevens) getting ready for a ball and dressing in full Louis XVI-style regalia with powdered wig, full make-up, and a little black mole. It reminded me a bit of the series Versaille on Netflix. So far so good! I’m also noticing now that the cast seems a little more diverse than the original. Madame de Garderobe is played by Audra McDonald and Plumette is played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw - both women of color. The background characters are a bit more diverse so that seems to be going in the right direction but I would have like to have still seen more. The other thing that struck me here was the witch’s curse is SO brutal to the poor innocent people working in the palace. Aside from the turning-into-furniture bit, the fact that she erased the memory of them from their loved-one’s minds is just heartbreaking. To know that your family will forget you. Then we meet Belle, Emma Watson sings - I thought with a clear, beautiful, natural voice. Overall, I thought her performance was outstanding. Although - there is a moment early on where she is twirling atop a grassy hill singing in her barefeet and my 7 year old leans over to me and says, “She’s going to get a tick on her feet!” Belle’s inventor role is explored a lot more here - it’s not just her father. So thumbs up for that. She invents a washing machine which gives her more time for her books and to get in trouble for teaching a young girl in the village to read. (Good point for discussion right there.) And - Gaston. His handsome hyper-masculine character is utterly obnoxious and he treats Belle like the ultimate prey. He is just vile! But - Luke Evans does a fantastic job with him. His backstory is more filled out., which is interesting. He was a soldier, and there’s hints of PTSD there with this darker interpretation.  And the “Gaston” tavern number is so much better than the original - full of people and the characters are vibrant and it’s funny. I think probably the best song sequence of the movie. During this scene, I also like the new envisioning of the LeFou character (played by Josh Gad, the voice of Olaf). There’s more depth to that role and of everyone, he maybe changes the most throughout the movie. Now, he’s the character that the director has said is involved in a “gay moment” in the movie. And - I guess you could interpret LeFou’s actions toward Gaston in that way, and there’s a scene at the end where he dances briefly with another man. But I think the controversy, if you can even call it that, is really overblown. I’m glad Disney didn’t edit anything out for release in other countries, but on on the other hand, I don’t want to give them too much credit either. The situation is treated like a joke and maybe just another in a long line of gay characters depicted as fools. But generally, I really liked that performance and want to see more of Josh Gad. Back to the plot! Belle’s father (played by Kevin Kline) is attacked by wolves - this might be the scariest moment of the film and he takes refuge in the castle, takes a rose from the garden, and the Beast freaks out and imprisons him.   The horse leads Belle back where she tricks her father, takes his place, and the story carries on from there. In the castle - Chip is simply adorable and if I were Plumette, I would totally go for Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, too. I was skeptical of how live people would interact with dancing teapots and clocks and such, but it was done well and not as creepy as I worried it would be. And the “Be Our Guest” routine was lovely. The relationship between the Beast and Belle has always seemed a weird portrayal as romance, but I had a couple thoughts as I watched this version. First, it reminded me a lot of Pride & Prejudice where it takes Elizabeth Bennet going to Mr. Darcy’s home and seeing how his staff universally loves him and sacrifices for him, that starts to shift her viewpoint. And you see this in the Beauty & the Beast film when Mrs. Potts describes his childhood to Belle and explains how he’s better than his horrendous first impression. Second, never underestimate the allure of a magnificent library and the power of reading aloud to connect people. Belle reads to him and reconnects him with books and that was a point where she started to see his humanity. Expanding on Belle’s backstory and explaining what happened to her mother and the symbolism of the rose was another really great part of this movie. It’s a short scene, and I don’t want to spoil it for you but explains why her father is tormented by the memory of her mother. A quick word about the famous yellow dress. Here it is thankfully toned down and simplified - no mass of ruffles. I was more enthralled with the jewelry, to be honest with you - especially her climbing earrings. I’ve been seeing more and more of those - you know, the ones that go up the ear. I love those, but I don’t think I could pull them off to be honest with you. And I’ll end my thought with a couple serious notes. First, ugh, Gaston’s firing up the villagers who’ve known Belle all their life really brought home how easy it is to get people roused by claiming there’s something dangerous. Okay - so, I am known as a bit of a crier at movies. And I held it together for most of the film. Until the end when Mrs. Pott’s is frantically searching for Chip as all the enchanted servants are turning completely into just objects. And she, essentially dies with her last thoughts a desperate worry for her son. But then, as you know - they are released from the curse. And Emma Thompson, who plays Mrs. Potts, wraps her arms around her son and says, “You smell so good!”  and wow - you just realize how these people have suffered - not being fully human. So that was my tissue moment. In short - I thought this was a great movie - I liked it way better than the Disney version. And I think I’ve even forgiven Dan Stevens for leaving Downton Abbey.   Analyzing & Comparing other Beauty & the Beast versions   If your school follows the Common Core Standards, one of our major goals is to help students learn how to compare different versions of a story and analyze multimedia representations of that story. Even if your district hasn’t adopted those standards, it is still a worthy goal and one of the more fun ones to teach. And fairy tales like Beauty & the Beast are perfect texts to explore.  They’ve often changed (a lot!) over the years, and each generation and place has it’s own interpretation. What’s more interesting than simply having your students or children point out the differences, is asking them to think about WHY the author decided to change it. A quick word of caution though - those original fairy tales were DARK and much more violent. So definitely preview anything and use your own judgement about what’s appropriate. It’s probably best to start with just comparing one scene a couple different versions and then you can select something that’s okay for your age group.     For example, in the earliest French version of the story from the mid 1700s, the rose doesn’t drop any petals to mark time, and the Beast proposes to Belle every night in the castle. Also, there is a magic ring that will guide Belle back to the palace. Oh - and all those enchanted objects like Mrs. Potts, Chip, Lumiere, and Cogsworth? They are nowhere to be found in any version before the Disney movie.  Same with Gaston and LeFou. Not mentioned at all.  Instead, the villains of the original story are Belle’s sisters who conspire to keep her away from the Beast out of jealousy.  The whole story about how Disney decided to come up with Gaston is a fascinating read - they even had a contest among the animators to see who could draw his chest hair the best! (Links to that story in the show notes!)   Alright -there’s obviously some great fodder for discussion and analysis. Also - while you wait for this new version to be released outside of the theatre - use the soundtrack and a print out of the lyrics!   In  the meantime, here are a few more versions that are worth checking out.   Let’s start with some Picture Books: Beauty and The Beast: A Pop-up Book of the Classic Fairy Tale by Robert Sabuda  This is a gorgeous book illustrated in the style of stained glass. Then there’s the new 2017 picture book called Beauty and the Beast by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Meg Park. This one has a stronger focus on Belle’s courage and the illustrations in blues and purples are beautiful. Then there’s the version by by Max Eilenberg  and Angela Barrett who’s the illustrator with lush watercolors and a curiously creepy depiction of the Beast. If you’ want to see something more gilded and ornate, then the version illustrated by Kinuko Craft is worth exploring with your kids. There’s also a Beauty & the Beast version set in West Africa by H. Chuiku Lee. And Laurence Yep has a Chinese adaptation called The Dragon Prince   If you are looking for a chapter book version: I noticed in our recent Scholastic form some backstory books by Disney featuring the villains and the one called The Beast Within tell the story of how he came to become so bitter and monstrous. Disney has also released As Old as Time: A Twisted Tale by Liz Braswell that is a different take on Belle and includes more of her mother. And finally - for something modern and fun, Wendy Mass’ s third book in the Twice Upon a Time series is a Beauty and the Beast adaptation and is getting really good reviews But, I am sure there there are many more! I’m always looking for another great fairy tale adaptation, so please let me know your favorite.  You can tag me on Twitter, Instagram, and now Facebook - our handle is @books_between or email me at booksbetween@gmail.com and I’d love to share your ideas. Book Talk - Two New Contemporary Fiction Novels   In this part of the show, I chat about books centered around a theme and discuss three things to love about each book. This week the two books on my mind the most are two new contemporary fiction releases:  A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold and Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry.   A Boy Called Bat   Our first featured book this week is a sweet, sweet book called A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold. It’s about a 3rd grade boy named Bixby Alexander Tam (B-A-T - Bat for short), his older sister, Janie, and their mom who is a vet. Well, one day Bat’s mom brings home a tiny newborn skunk and immediately Bat is entranced and just wants to take care of him - feed him formula and help him figure out how to go to the bathroom, keep him cuddled up in a sling, and basically be with him all the time. But - this baby skunk is scheduled to go to the rescue center in a month. And Bat is going to do whatever he can to keep this skunk himself. It is an adorable book with some deeply poignant touches. Here are three things to love about A Boy Called Bat:   How this book understands the challenges of kids with divorced parents. For Bat and his sister, that means every other Friday they go to their dad’s to spend the weekend. His dad calls him “sport”, which he hates, and makes a weird, smelly chili in the crockpot and Bat has to watch baseball on tv. And the change in routine makes Bat feel uncomfortable. And as a kid of divorced parents, I could really relate to some of those scenes. And I am sure that kids you know could also connect to those sections. Bat’s relationship with his older sister. Like a lot of siblings they are a mix of friendly and frustrated. Janie is, I think, in middle school and watches Bat a couple days after school when their mom has to work late. And Bat is particular about his snacks and wants to tell the same stories over and over again and sometimes it’s hard for Janie to be patient. Especially when Bat does something to one of her t-shirts. But then…. there are sweet moments, too. One especially stands out when they are both at their dad’s apartment, stuck watching baseball, and Bat braids Janie’s hair for her. And it’s a small but a sweet moment between siblings that are very different. Bat - he is earnest and kind of quirky. His social interactions are sort of awkward. For example, he’s sometimes too honest and doesn’t quite get most figurative language. He’s definitely a literal thinker. He sometimes flaps his hands when he gets upset, and loud noises tend to bother him. And as those behaviors started to build up throughout the book, I started to wonder - what’s the deal with this kid? Does he have Asperger's or autism? I kept waiting for the author to clarify that, but the more I think on it, the more I’m glad that Elana Arnold did not pin a diagnosis on this boy. And simply let us come to know and love him as an individual. And yet - I’m glad to have another book in our library like Rain Reign or A Whole New Ballgame or Counting by 7s with a character that might be on the autism spectrum that kids can get to know. And it’s at a lower reading level than those other books - probably best for about ages 7-11. But would make a great read aloud for Kindergarten or 1st grade.   A Boy Called Bat is a heartfelt book with characters you love, and I hope that we haven’t seen the end of Bixby Alexander Tam. Forget Me Not   Our next new release is the middle grade debut by Ellie Terry called Forget Me Not. The setting is Utah and our main character is Calliope - called Calli by her family. Callie is smart, into astronomy and poetry and sensitive. She also has Tourette syndrome (TS) and was given some advice by her doctor and mother to hide that fact from people. But she is so eager to connect with and make a long-lasting friendship. Because Calli moves a lot - her mom likes to just pick up and go once her relationships turn sour - Calli is in this position of starting a new school and trying to mask her tics and noises. But, she has formed a bond with Jinsong - her classmate and neighbor. However, he is not so sure about being open about their friendship, especially as his friends start to target her. Here are three reasons you and your kids will fall for Forget Me Not:   How this book is like a duet between the voices of Calli and Jinsong. The chapters alternate between their points of view with Calli’s section in verse and Jinsong’s parts in prose - each with their own font. I really liked how that helped you differentiate between the two characters. I appreciated how this was an honest take on bullying in schools. The children who are harassing Calliope are being cruel, but often have their own story that if you got to know them, you might have some empathy. I know that there is absolutely never any excuse for harassment but sometimes those kids that can be the nastiest are going through some tough stuff. Also - considering the bystander angle, this book really shows how hard it is to stand up to people when they’re being mean - even if you’ve signed one of those pledges like Jinsong has as part of his role as student body president. His choices and regrets I think are a more honest portrayal of how those situations really tend to go down. The gorgeous cover. And I know it’s a seemingly small thing, but when a cover is done right - it draws you into the book and after you read it, the images reveal something deeper than you first noticed. This was one of those books that as soon as I saw the cover, I was entranced by it. So this cover is a deep shaded midnight blue with bright reddish poppies circling the title along with blue forget-me-nots and orange paper lanterns, moon, stars, telescope, rock - all the little mementos from Calli’s story. The more I look at it, the more I just love the sense of a bright garden in the moonlight.   Ellie Terry’s Forget Me Not is warm and good-hearted and offers a unique point of view for kids, and I love that this novel can shape their opinion about those with Tourette syndrome and hopefully widen their perspective beyond the unfortunate stereotypes. Terry herself has TS, and I’d love to read you just a bit from the Author’s Note in the back: Closing   Alright - that’s it for our show this week. Don’t forget to show the students and robotics team at Pleasant Run Elementary some love.  If you have topic you think we should cover, I would really love to hear from you. You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or message me on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between.   Thanks again for joining me this week. You can get find a transcript of this show and all of our previous episodes at AlltheWonders.com.  And, if you’re enjoying the show and finding some value in what you hear, please help others find us too by telling a friend, sharing on social media, or leaving a rating on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks again and see you in two weeks!  Bye!   http://www.movietavern.com   http://shannonhale.tumblr.com/post/158705257850/book-drive-for-school-of-robotics-team-champs