Maria's Mélange

When Alyson asked me to participate in this blog tour, I knew immediately which book I wanted to share. It's partly because I haven't read as many of the Schneider Award winners as I would like to, but mostly because this book is nearly perfect. It had been on my "to be read" list for several years, but I finally made the space to read it in December of 2013. My colleagues and I were doing our second annual Bookish March Madness, with titles selected by our students, and Mango appeared on the list both years. What was it about this story that appealed to them so strongly? A Mango-Shaped Space by   Wendy Mass Paperback, 276 pages Published October 19th 2005 by Little, Brown and Company  ISBN 0316058254 (ISBN13: 9780316058254) Goodreads Blurb: Mia Winchell appears to be a typical kid, but she's keeping a big secret—sounds, numbers, and words have color for her. No one knows, and Mia wants to keep it that way. But when trouble at school finally fo...

I'm actually at a teacher conference this week called Confratute. I help out with the conference, and it keeps me hopping! Between that and running a virtual writing camp, I'm going to keep this one short. I'm at UConn, and one of the first things my roomie and I did was check out the local bookstore. I managed to refrain from buying any books - for now. We have Aaron Becker coming to speak on Thursday, so I'm hoping to get a signed copy of Journey .... Visit Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers for links to other great blogs with book love! Here's a sampling of the books I've read over the past 2 weeks. I'll try to visit other blogs as much as I can, but I may make it to your post late. If possible, leave me a link in the comments so I can find it easily! Lots of great 2014 books ... Beautiful, simple nonfiction book about Gravity. I loved the illustrations and short text. Jane Yolen is one of my favorites, and this was great! Oddly ...

  It's time for another dip into the Nonfiction Picture Book swimming pool! Be sure to visit KidLitFrenzy every Wednesday for more great titles. My Country, 'Tis of Thee: How One Song Reveals the History of Civil Rights by Claire Rudolf Murphy (Goodreads Author), Bryan Collier (Illustrations) Hardcover, 48 pages Published June 3rd 2014 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) ISBN 0805082263 (ISBN13: 9780805082265) Blurb from Goodreads :      More than any other, one song traces America’s history of patriotism and protest.      Everyone knows the words to “My Country, ’Tis of Thee.” What most don’t realize is that this iconic song has been a beacon of change for hundreds of years. Generations of protesters and civil rights pioneers have created new lyrics, beginning in royalist Britain and continuing through conflicts in colonial times, the American Revolution, the suffragist and labor movements, and the struggles for black and Native American c...