Story Monsters Ink - May 2019

May 2019

The Literary Resource for Teachers, Librarians, and Parents

JEFF KINNEY Announces an Awesome New Book

THIRD-GRADER

Dane Best

Convinces Town to Overturn a 100-YEAR-OLD LAW

YA AUTHOR

Tosca Lee

Crosses the Line from Page to Screen

Michael Seese

Pens an Extraordinary Adventure for Middle Grade Readers

Andi C. Kryszak

Imagines Her Dog’s Road to Rescue in New Picture Book

Teaching Toolbox

Class Books

Conrad’s Classroom

Writing Rainbows

One to Read:

Dusti Bowling Marcus Emerson

Releases His Latest Ben Braver Caper

One to Watch:

Arista Arhin Judy Newman

Diary of a True Jeff Kinney Fan

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Contact Cristy Bertini at Cristy@StoryMonsters.com or call 413-687-0733 to reserve your space! Discounts available.

MEET THE STAFF PUBLISHER

Linda F. Radke Linda@StoryMonsters.com

Editor-in-Chief

Cristy Bertini Cristy@StoryMonsters.com

WRITERS

Bring Story Monsters Ink into Your Classroom!

Visit our website at StoryMonsters.com to download free classroom question sheets to aid in learning comprehension and encourage your students to discuss what they’ve read in each issue!

Melissa Fales, Nick Spake, Olivia Amiri, Julianne Black, Larissa Juliano

Special ContributorS Judy Newman James Patterson

DESIGN

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Jeff Yesh

Science & Nature Editor Conrad J. Storad

PROOFREADER Deb Greenberg

Web Management Patti Crane

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Linda F. Radke Info@StoryMonsters.com Cristy Bertini Cristy@StoryMonsters.com

Book Reviewers Darleen Wohlfeil, Diana Perry, Jessica Reino, Sherry Hoffman, Diana Fisher, Dawn Menge, Denise Bloomfield

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Cover photo by Filip Wolak Story Monsters Ink magazine and www.StoryMonsters.com are trademarks of Story Monsters, LLC. Copyright ©2019 Story Monsters LLC, ISSN 2374-4413, All rights reserved. Contents may not be published in whole or in part without the express written consent of the bylined author and publisher. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual writers and are not necessarily those of Story Monsters Ink or its advertisers.

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Honor Roll Gold Award Recipient, Mom’s Choice Awards.

2018 Irwin Award winner for “Best Magazine Writer of the Year.”

2016 Irwin Award winner for “Best Publisher of a Literary Magazine” and “Best Editorial Director.”

MAY 2019

in this issue ...

Features 22 Third-Grader Dane Best Convinces Town to Overturn a 100-Year-Old Law

26 YA Author Tosca Lee Crosses the Line from Page to Screen

04 Jeff Kinney Announces an Awesome New Book

08 One to Read: Dusti Bowling

Pens an Extraordinary Adventure for Middle Grade Readers

38 Andi C. Kryszak

12 Marcus Emerson Releases His Latest Ben Braver Caper

16 One to Watch: Arista Arhin

30 Michael Seese

Imagines Her Dog’s Road to Rescue in New Picture Book

Columns 34 Judy Newman

Diary of a True Jeff Kinney Fan

42 CONRAD’s CLASSROOM Writing Rainbows

44 TEACHING TOOLBOX Class Books

52 Monsters at the Movies Storm Boy

54 Liv on Life

What is your Dream Class?

Resources 48 SPRING Reading LIST 56 Book Reviews

Want to read even more?

Check out our Book Briefs page at storymonsters.com to keep up with the latest news, interviews, and happenings at Story Monsters!

Tell us what you think of this issue! Email your comments to cristy@storymonsters.com.

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COVER FEATURE

Jeff Kinney

by Melissa Fales

Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid was released in 2007, introducing the self-absorbed Greg Heffley and his long-suffering best friend, Rowley Jefferson. The series has always chronicled Greg’s perspective on his life, his middle school mishaps, and his family. Twelve years and 13 books into this wildly popular series later, Rowley finally gets to have his say. Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson’s Journal (Amulet Books) was released on April 9 with a first printing of 3 million copies. “The lesson I’ve learned, after seeing the films and the musical, is that everybody is always rooting for Rowley,” says Kinney. “I thought I’d embrace that.”

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Jeff Kinney

COVER FEATURE

Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid is Kinney’s first book outside of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. “This book is a lot of fun,” he says. “It’s got some twists and turns. It starts off with Rowley being very proud to have his own book and his own diary, just like his best friend, Greg.

But by page three or four, Greg gets wind of the book and he steers Rowley towards writing a book about him instead. Somehow, he commandeers Rowley’s journal right out of the gate.”

The book immediately veers from a diary for Rowley to a biography of Greg. The only trouble is that Rowley isn’t very good at being a biographer. “They didn’t meet until the fourth grade, so there’s a big blank spot at the beginning,” says Kinney. “It’s a non-standard biography.

Basically, it’s about their sleepovers, their arts and crafts, and snacks.”

Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid includes Rowley’s retelling of the disappointing two-night sleepover he had at Greg’s house. “It certainly promises to be a good time, but they end up getting on each other’s nerves and then they’re stuck with each other,” says Kinney. “I think it’s something we can all relate to ... being with a friend for too long.”

Kinney says he found it liberating to work beyond the parameters of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. “It was nice to be able to just explore the characters. Those books have gotten more and more cinematic,” he says. “I can’t really get away with writing a Diary of a Wimpy Kid book about the happenings of a sleepover. It was really fun to be able to go small again. With this book, small is possible.”

There’s nothing small about the success Kinney has enjoyed with the Wimpy Kid series. With more than 200 million copies sold and a perennial spot on the New York Times bestsellers list, Kinney was named as one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. Yet, Kinney didn’t set out to be a children’s author. “I wanted to draw comics,” he says. “My original goal was to have a comic strip. When I couldn’t break into cartooning, I decided to go in a different direction.

I still get to do comics, but I put them in books.”

Kinney started drawing comics while he was studying Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland. Igdoof, the cartoon he created for the school’s newspaper, was a hit on campus where his fellow students wore hats and t-shirts emblazoned with the character. However, after graduation, Kinney was unable to parlay that popularity into syndication.

During the years he unsuccessfully peddled Igdoof, Kinney started keeping a diary. He was utilizing the diary as a motivational tool, but it ended up giving him a brand new concept. He came up with the idea of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and its fun mixture of text and cartoons originally for adults, but a publisher he showed it to saw it as a children’s book, and the rest is history.

Kinney’s novel combination of text and drawings of characters such as Greg, Rowley, and Roderick paved the way for the inclusion of more visual action on the pages of books, revolutionizing reading material for a StoryMonsters.com | May 2019 | Story Monsters Ink

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COVER FEATURE

Jeff Kinney

generation of so-called “reluctant readers.” “It’s a good genre and there are some who do it really well,” says Kinney. “I love it when someone puts a new twist on the idea.” He offers the example of Lincoln Peirce of Big Nate fame as a particular favorite. “He’s someone I wanted to be when I was a teenager,” Kinney says. “Now he is doing books that are a mixture of text and comics, but I think he’s really elevated the medium. I love his Max and the Midknights book. It’s a comic hybrid. I really admire him for doing that.”

“When you see the world through Rowley’s eyes, it’s a totally different take. He’s so childish and innocent and he sees the world in a way that’s fun.”

Acknowledging that the series is somewhat of a reflection of his own childhood, Kinney admits he and Greg Heffley have a lot in common. “Yes, Greg is a lot like I was as a kid,” he says. “He’s a comically exaggerated version, but he’s like me.” Kinney attributes the series’ popularity to the commonality of the childhood experience globally. “I think the books reflect kids’ lives no matter where they are,” he says. “I ran into a lot of readers in Italy and in South Africa and Dubai.

Kids really seem the same everywhere. I’m convinced that in many ways, childhood is universal. These books hold up a mirror to that.”

Fans of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series needn’t worry.

Kinney promises that he’s not done with it yet. “I’m still writing books and it’s still very much on my mind,” 6

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he says. “This book from Rowley’s perspective is a side project and it’s been very liberating to have this character’s very naïve and pure point of view.”

For now, Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid is a standalone book. Is it going to be a series? “That’s the question I’m asking myself,” Kinney says. I’ll seriously think about it. I loved writing it. When you see the world through Rowley’s eyes, it’s a totally different take.

He’s so childish and innocent and he sees the world in a way that’s fun. I can think of a million different ways a Rowley-authored book could go.”

For more information about Jeff Kinney and his books, visit wimpykid.com.

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Enter the Awesome Friendly Giveaway!

The winner will receive an awesome package of goodies which includes a free digital subscription to Story Monsters Ink magazine and a copy of Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson’s Journal!

Sign up at storymonsters.com/giveaway One entry per person. The winner will be notified by email on May 16.

(U.S. residents only). Sponsored by Abrams Books and Story Monsters Ink magazine.

StoryMonsters.com | May 2019 | Story Monsters Ink

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FEATURE

One to Read: Dusti Bowling

One to Read:

Dusti Bowling

by Melissa Fales

In her critically-acclaimed, too-many-to-list-awardwinning book, Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus and the highly-anticipated sequel, Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus (Sterling Children’s Books) due out in September, author Dusti Bowling presents Aven Green, a 13-year-old girl who is optimistic and determined and also happens to have been born without arms. Bowling says she believes the reason 8

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the first book was so popular is because her lack of arms isn’t the crux of the story. “A lot of books about kids with disabilities focus really heavily on the disability,” says Bowling. “It’s not the main focus of my book. Aven’s okay with not having arms. She has lived without them her whole life and their absence is just a part of who she is. It’s not something she has to overcome.”

“My writing tackles pretty serious issues but with a lighthearted, funny tone.”

She’s my favorite author.

FEATURE

One to Read: Dusti Bowling

Bowling was in her late twenties when she made the choice to seriously pursue a writing career. “I tried other things but nothing ever felt or fit right,” she says. “I put it off for a long time, mostly because I didn’t think I could do it. I thought publishing was impossible.” Bowling can pinpoint the exact moment she decided to follow her heart. “It was about 4 a.m. when I had my epiphany,” she says. “I had insomnia and I was browsing the Internet and looking at Facebook. It suddenly hit me that I was wasting so much time ... time I could be using to write that book I wanted to write. That’s when I decided that if I didn’t at least try, I would never know if I could do it and that I would always regret it.”

Once she tried writing, Bowling was successful, selfpublishing a few books, including The Day We Met, released in 2012. “It sold 20,000 e-book copies,” she says. “That gave me the confidence to try to get a manuscript traditionally published.”

The idea to write about someone who is differentlyabled grew out of a sad personal experience Bowling had over a decade ago. “My cousin was in the Army, serving in the war in Iraq,” she says. “He was severely injured there and lost his arm.” Bowling’s cousin was in a coma for a time, and, expecting him to pull through, she began researching what life would be like for him without an arm.

Unfortunately, her cousin passed away, but Bowling’s new awareness of what life is like for people who are missing one or both limbs stuck with her. “One thing I discovered while I was doing all of that research was that there was a marked lack of books about this for kids,” says Bowling.

Bowling set out to fix that. She created the character of Aven after meeting with three different women: Barbie Thomas, an armless body builder; Tisha Shelton, who posts videos demonstrating her daily life without arms; and Jessica Cox, a motivational speaker who can fly a plane with her feet. “I read about them and watched videos about them before I reached out and got to know them,” says Bowling. “I shared the story with them before it was published to make sure it was authentic and also sensitive to people with limb differences.”

In Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, Aven moves from Kansas to Arizona, where her parents 10

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hope to resurrect a run-down, western-themed amusement park called Stagecoach Pass. “Aven’s having trouble adjusting,” says Bowling. “It’s not because she was born without arms. She’s actually incredibly capable of doing almost everything with her feet. The problem is that the kids at her new middle school are having trouble accepting her.” Aven finds a friend in her classmate, Connor, who has Tourette’s syndrome and shares her difficulty making friends. “My writing tackles pretty serious issues but with a lighthearted, funny tone,” says Bowling.

“Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus is definitely a comedy with heart.”

Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus opens on Aven’s first day of ninth grade. “High school is a whole new experience and brings lots of new challenges for Aven,” says Bowling. “For one thing, she might have the opportunity to find out who her birth father is.

Aven is learning how to ride and jump a horse, which is very challenging for a person who doesn’t have arms. And someone does something very mean to her at school.”

Despite Aven’s popularity among readers, Bowling says she doesn’t intend to write any more books about her.

“I’ll never say never, but nothing’s planned,” she says.

One to Read: Dusti Bowling

“She’s getting older and I want to stick with middle grade. I’m definitely a middle grade author. Even a story about her in ninth grade was a bit of a stretch.”

In 2018, Bowling released 24 Hours in Nowhere. “It’s about four kids who live in this really poor desert town called Nowhere, Arizona who make a really bad decision to go into an abandoned gold mine,” says Bowling. The group includes Gus, the favorite target of a bully named Bo, and Gus’s friend Rossi, a talented dirtbike rider. Rossi had boldly stood up to Bo on Gus’s behalf, and Bo forces her to give up her bike in exchange for the bullying to stop. Bo knows that the most important dirtbike ride of the summer is coming up, and without Rossi in the race against him, he’s likely to win. Now, the group is desperate to find gold in order to buy back Rossi’s dirtbike so she can race against Bo and put him in his place. “Like Insignificant

FEATURE

Events in the Life of a Cactus and Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus, 24 Hours in Nowhere is also a funny book with a strong, female character,” says Bowling.

“That’s a common thread that runs through all of my books.”

Readers will find that Bowling’s books have another common theme: They all take place in Arizona. “I was born and raised here,” says Bowling. “I moved away for a time as an adult and I always wanted to come back.

I moved back seven years ago. This is home. This is where my heart is.”

For more information about Dusti Bowling, to score pre-order goodies for Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus, and to see a video of Bowling reading a chapter from the book, visit dustibowling.com.

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Marcus Emerson

Releases His Latest Ben Braver Caper

by Melissa Fales

Marcus Emerson

Author and illustrator Marcus Emerson considers himself fortunate to have a test audience for his middle-grade books living right under his own roof. His 11-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son eagerly serve as his draft-reading guinea pigs, and their candid reactions to his books, such as The Super Life of Ben Braver, have proven invaluable.

Most recently, his children have given their stamp of approval for his second book in the Ben Braver trilogy, Ben Braver and the Incredible Exploding Kid. “If they’re into it, then I know I’m good,” says Emerson. “If they only read a few chapters before they put it down and go looking for a snack, like my daughter did with an early draft of the first Ben Braver book, then I know I have to get in there and make some changes.”

Emerson wasn’t much of a reader as a kid. “I did read a lot of Garfield, Calvin and Hobbes and other comics,” he says. “I never loved books until the Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine came along. I literally couldn’t put those down. I’d finish one a day and then I’d need more. I was one of those, what we call today, reluctant readers. I think any kid can become excited about reading, you just have to find the right book. I hope that my books can be the right books for some of these kids.”

FEATURE

with me. It’s a story about kids and their imagination playing at recess and it’s geared towards those in fourth and fifth grade.” A self-proclaimed “kid who never grew up,” Emerson liked writing for them and found that he was good at it. “Turns out, I’m way more immature than I thought,” he says.

Emerson self-published Recess Warriors: Hero Is a FourLetter Word and Recess Warriors 2: Bad Guy Is a Two-Word Word, followed by his middle-grade mega hit, the Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja series. “Once I put out the Ninja books, they were so successful I got to quit my job,” he says. “That was a good feeling.” Emerson has had a string of other popular books, including the Secret Agent 6th Grader series.

One of his favorite aspects of being a children’s author is the opportunity to meet his readers face-to-face during visits to schools. “Visiting a school is the coolest thing ever,” he says. “There’s nothing quite like the energy of a few hundred students who are fully engaged. They make it easy. We ask questions back and forth and they want to know more about me and I want to make them laugh. It’s so cool.”

After having tremendous success as a self-published author, Emerson signed on with Roaring Brook Press for the Ben Braver series. “I have a lot of books out but I’ve only been traditionally published for a short

After college, Emerson languished in a cubicle for years, working as a graphic design project manager and creating websites. “It wasn’t what I wanted to be doing,” he says. “I wanted to tell stories.” For some reason, reaching the milestone age of 30 served as the impetus for Emerson to take the plunge into the profession that had been calling him since he was in the second grade and spent hours drawing Jim Davis’s Garfield over and over again. “I’ve always wanted to draw comics but I never did anything about it,” he says. “When I turned 30, it just hit me and I became really fed up with myself for not doing it.”

Emerson’s existential crisis was fruitful. “I wrote Recess Warriors,” he says. “I wanted to write and draw a comic book that I could work on at night while my kids were StoryMonsters.com | May 2019 | Story Monsters Ink

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FEATURE

Marcus Emerson

amount of time, so I’m still kind of new to the game,” he says. Emerson didn’t have to look far for inspiration for the main character. “Ben is basically me when I was a kid,” he says. “He loves video games and action and adventure movies and peanut butter cups. Like every kid, he wants to be a superhero but unlike every kid, he actually gets the opportunity to achieve that.”

In The Super Life of Ben Braver, the protagonist finds himself in a bit of a dilemma. “Ben has been invited to a secret school for kids with superpowers,” says Emerson. “He’s just an ordinary kid. He doesn’t

up against one another with their powers and Ben’s forced into doing it.”

Emerson can’t reveal much more about the plot without giving away the book’s ending, but he does note that the conclusion has an uplifting message for middlegrade readers. “Ben’s got this dream to be a superhero and he’s not going to give up,” says Emerson. “The moral of the story is that you don’t need to have superpowers to be extraordinary.”

For more information about Marcus Emerson and his books, visit marcusemerson.com.

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“I was one of those, what we call today, reluctant readers.

I think any kid can become excited about reading, you just have to find the right book. I hope that my books can be the right books for some of these kids.”

understand why the headmaster wants him there.”

Understandably, Ben gets frustrated as the other students learn how to control their powers and begin to surpass him at the school. “As everyone around him levels up, he’s getting left behind,” says Emerson.

“I started thinking, What would I do in that situation?

Of course, I would start faking it in order to keep up with the other kids. And that’s what Ben does. He uses gadgets and gizmos and pretends he can control things in his mind. And, somehow, he ends up saving the day.”

Emerson’s latest book, Ben Braver and the Incredible Exploding Kid opens with Ben’s fellow students celebrating him as a hero, none the wiser that his heroics were done without the help of superpowers.

“He has to continue to keep up this charade of being just like them,” says Emerson. “Meanwhile, all of the other kids are growing in their own abilities, becoming even stronger.” Things come to a head when the students form their own version of a fight club. “They battle each other with their powers, kind of like Mortal Combat,” says Emerson, with a nod to one of his favorite video games. “They’re going 14

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FEATURE

ONE TO WATCH: ARISTA ARHIN

One to Watch:

Arista Arhin

by Melissa Fales

At just 14 years old, Arista Arhin has already made a name for herself as an actress. Arhin may be young, but she’s keenly aware that the spotlight she’s worked so hard for makes her a role model for the many young women who are watching her, both on screen and off. The roles she plays speak volumes about the type of message she hopes to send to her fans. She plays the resilient and independent young Michael Burnham on Star Trek Discovery, and on Bajillionaires, her portrayal of teenage inventor Alicia Windsor demonstrates that it’s cool to be smart.

“It’s a great responsibility having such visibility, and a platform that’s growing and growing every day,” says Arhin. “I feel lucky that I have the opportunity to empower young women by giving them the examples of these strong characters.”

When Arhin was around 10 years old, she began modeling, which led to commercials and before she knew it, she was auditioning for television shows. Her first role was as Agent Ozlyn on the PBS show Odd Squad. “It’s been really busy ever since,” she says.

For the role of young Michael Burnham, Arhin underwent an extensive audition process, with multiple call-backs over the course of a three-month period.

“By the time I got to the third audition, I thought it might be going somewhere,” she says. About three weeks after her final audition, Arhin got the call she had been waiting for. She got the part. “I was so excited, but the funny thing is, I didn’t even know it was Star Trek Discovery,” Arhin says. “I was just excited that I got a role. The auditions had been held under a code name. I had no idea until I got the script. My mother and I were looking through it and she said, ‘Vulcans?

Klingons? Is this what I think it is?’ We couldn’t believe 16

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it.” In fact, even though the show is now in its second season, Arhin says sometimes she still has a hard time believing she’s a part of the Star Trek legacy. “I feel like it still hasn’t clicked in my head,” she says. “To appear in one of the biggest, most iconic shows is so incredible.

Sometimes I need a reality check.”

Arhin, as young Michael Burnham, appears in flashbacks. “Burnham is revisiting her childhood in hopes to find some answers or some context for what she’s experiencing as an adult,” says Arhin. “She’s a human but she was adopted by Sarek and Amanda, who happen to be Spock’s parents and she was raised Vulcan.

Being adopted is a very important part of her story.”

To ensure consistency between the two Burnhams on the screen—as a young girl and as a grown woman— Arhin worked closely with Sonequa Martin-Green, who portrays Michael Burnham as an adult. “I really wanted to nail this role, knowing how huge the fandom is,” says Arhin. “I didn’t want to let anyone down. Sonequa was so great to work with, especially in that aspect. I think it was really important for us to have the same understanding of the character.”

FEATURE

ONE TO WATCH: ARISTA ARHIN

“I feel like it still hasn’t clicked in my head. To appear in one of the biggest, most iconic shows is so incredible. Sometimes I need a reality check.”

According to Arhin, her character, Alicia, is “a DIY engineering genius” with an important job for the team.

“She’s the Chief Product Designer and is constantly coming up with inventions and prototypes,” she says.

Out of all of the ideas Alicia comes up with, one of Arhin’s favorites is the “Troll Jammer.” “It’s an app that gets rid of mean comments on the Internet and replaces them with nice comments,” explains Arhin. “I think it’s very timely with all of this hate on social media and everyone feeling the need to express their opinion, even if it is hurtful. I think it really would be a beneficial app to have.”

Arhin says one of the best parts of landing the role on Star Trek Discovery, especially as a young actress, has been the opportunity to meet and work with the talented members of the cast. “Getting to do scenes with people like Ethan Peck and Liam Hughes (who plays young Spock) has been such an amazing experience,” she says. Arhin says the cast and crew wholeheartedly welcomed her on set despite her youth.

“In the first season, I was the only kid there so I thought they’d treat me like a baby, but they didn’t,” she says.

“That was a big deal to me.”

Arhin experiences a completely different type of cast, one comprised mainly of teens, with her new comedy, Bajillionaires. “It’s about a group of neighborhood pals who are running a start-up company out of a garage,” says Arhin. “They’re constantly making inventions that they hope will make a positive change in the world, but they are doing it in a very low-budget way. They dream and they innovate and they also fail. No matter what happens, they’re still friends. And through each failure, their bond just grows stronger and stronger.”

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For Arhin, filming the season’s worth of episodes of Bajillionaires was so much fun, it didn’t even feel like she was working. “It felt more like a 10-hour play date every day for three months,” she says. “We all clicked very quickly. We were kind of like an instant family. We were all able to relate to each other.”

From talking to her fellow Bajillionaires cast members, Arhin learned that she got a very late start in the industry. “Most of my friends and co-workers have been acting since they were two,” she says. Arhin says she laughs when fellow young actors and actresses are amazed that she was able to land a role on Star Trek Discovery after such a relatively short time in the field.

“I think it shows just how much my hard work has paid off,” she says. “It’s nice for people to notice that I have a good work ethic. I hope that the girls watching me on TV recognize that and know that if you work hard, you can achieve your dreams, too.’”

Follow Arista Arhin on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter at @aristaarhin.

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Read Now . Read Forever

100th

Children’s Book Week

Anniversary

Ap 19 20 ril , 29 - May 5

To find out more, go to everychildareader.net

Artwork © 2019 Yuyi Morales . Poster Design by Jim Secula . Poster © 2019 Every Child A Reader

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FEATURE

DANE BEST

Third-grader

Dane Best

Convinces Town to Overturn a 100-Year-Old Law

by Melissa Fales

One very determined 9-year-old boy successfully lifted a 100-year-old law banning the throwing of snowballs in the sleepy town of Severance, Colorado. Third-grader Dane Best was on a school field trip when he learned about the obscure law. Dismayed to learn that he was an unwitting, lifelong criminal and not wanting to continue to break the law every time he played in the snow with his friends, Best set out to make some changes. Author and illustrator Richie Frieman artfully captures Best’s story in his book, Snowballs for Severance: The Terrifically True Story of Dane Best and the Snowball Ban (Reading Pandas, Inc). “Here’s a real kid standing up for what he believes in,” says Frieman. “I knew it would make a great children’s book.”

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Snowballs were the furthest thing from Best’s mind when he attended that fateful field trip to the Severance Town Hall in October 2018. The mayor explained to the students how once a law is made, it remains in place unless it is amended or removed. He offered some examples of unusual laws still on the books in Severance, including the one forbidding throwing snowballs and other items lumped together under the term “projectiles.” “Dane came home and told me he wanted to get that law changed,” says his mother, Brooke Best. “I figured he’d let it go, but the next day at dinner he brought it up again.”

When it was clear that Best was serious about wanting to change the law, his parents brought him to the town

DANE BEST

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living in Severance. He was especially pleased when his school erected five-foot tall targets on its fence for students to use for practice throwing snowballs, in recognition of what Best had accomplished.

Frieman is an award-winning author, with six previously published books. Snowballs for Severance is his first work of nonfiction. He says he was immediately captivated by the idea of a little boy taking on the town over the right to throw a snowball. “I couldn’t stop thinking about it,” he says. He reached out to the family

“There’s no reason for kids not to be able to throw snowballs, especially here in Colorado where we get a lot of snow. It was just a weird law.”

hall, where he learned how to go about it. Best says he felt changing the law was so important because there was no need for it. “There’s no reason for kids not to be able to throw snowballs, especially here in Colorado where we get a lot of snow,” he says. “It was just a weird law.”

After enlisting his friends in a letter-writing campaign, urging the town board trustees to lift the ban on throwing snowballs, Best returned to the town hall, where he gave an impassioned speech, telling the trustees, “Kids want to have a voice in our town.” The trustees voted unanimously to overturn the law and allow kids to throw snowballs. Best had made history.

Best was proud he stood up for something he believed in so strongly and made a positive change in the lives of himself, his friends, and future generations of children StoryMonsters.com | May 2019 | Story Monsters Ink

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FEATURE

DANE BEST

“I always root for the underdog.... That’s why I loved Dane’s story. He was an underdog, but sure enough, he did it.

I wish I was half as cool as Dane when I was growing up.” with his idea to turn Best’s story into a children’s book.

Best says he couldn’t believe he was going to be the topic of a book. “It was crazy,” he says. “I don’t know anyone who has a book written about them. My mind was blown.”

Frieman found Best’s story so compelling, he was willing to drop everything he was doing in order to work on it. “Ironically, my 10-year-old daughter was working on a school assignment where they had to talk about something they thought should be a law,” he says.

“She was advocating for installing cameras on school bus STOP signs, so if people don’t stop, there would be a record of it. I realized that it took a lot of guts for a kid Dane’s age to stand up in front of all these adults and say ‘I believe in this. This matters to me.’”

Additionally, Frieman was intrigued by the David and Goliath aspect of the situation. “All my life, I’ve been told that everything I wanted to do was never, without a shadow of a doubt, ever going to happen,” he says.

“I was told I would never be an author. I have a severe learning disability and I didn’t read a book until my senior year of college. I couldn’t even put together a sentence. I was always a good student and I worked hard, but I couldn’t read a book to save my life, or even a magazine article. When I told people I wanted to become an author, they laughed at me.” Frieman faced similar doubts from people when he announced he wanted to become a professional wrestler. “I’m 5'5" and 24

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160 pounds,” he says. “They laughed at me again. But it only motivated me to try harder. So I always root for the underdog. I’m attracted to that face-off between the little guy and the big guy. That’s why I loved Dane’s story. He was an underdog, but sure enough, he did it. I wish I was half as cool as Dane when I was growing up.”

Snowballs for Severance carries a special significance to Frieman. “All of my other books are fiction, they’re 100 percent mine,” he says. “They’re made up of my words, my thoughts, my drawings. This time it’s about Dane and it feels different. I have a responsibility to someone else to share their story. It’s a welcome change.”

Frieman believes Best’s story, as told in Snowballs for Severance, provides an educational opportunity to get children interested in what they often perceive as a dull topic, learning more about the government and how laws are made and changed. The book includes coloring pages and discussion questions for teachers and parents to use. “When you talk to kids about standing up to the government for what you believe in, you don’t usually think about a 9-year-old boy from a small town in Colorado,” Frieman says. “This story has that cool twist.

I think it will resonate with children because they’ll relate to Dane as a peer and look up to him as a role model. Hopefully, it will get them thinking that maybe they can make some positive changes, too.”

For more information about Dane Best, Richie Frieman, and Snowballs for Severance, visit RichieFrieman.com.

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StoryMonsters.com | May 2019 | Story Monsters Ink

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YA Author

Tosca Lee

Crosses the Line from Page to Screen

by Melissa Fales

The most chilling aspect of The Line Between, the latest thriller by New York Times bestselling author Tosca Lee, is just how plausible the storyline is. When a cyber-attack shuts the power off across America as a rapidly spreading disease takes over, the young woman who holds the key to a potential cure must embark on a physically and spiritually challenging journey.

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TOSCA LEE

FEATURE

According to Lee, The Line Between (Howard Books) was inspired by recent, true events. “I literally took the idea from the headlines,” she says. “I read about a reindeer carcass that thawed in the permafrost of Siberia that was full of anthrax. It actually got a Siberian village sick, and a young boy died as a result. I’ve also read articles about how vulnerable the electrical grid is to cyber-attacks. All of this could happen. It’s not science fiction … it’s set in the here and now.”

Lee grew up in Nebraska. Had she been shorter, she might never have become a writer. “I very much wanted to become a professional ballerina and growing up, all of my afterschool time and weekends and summers were devoted to that dream,” she says.

An injury, compounded by genetics, forced Lee to reluctantly abandon that dream. “I got too tall,” she says. “I was 6 feet tall in pointe shoes.”

“I know that a lot of people read to take their minds off of difficult things happening in their lives. Maybe it’s caring for an aging parent, maybe they’re going through a difficult divorce or a sickness, or maybe they’re just reading for the fun of it.

I’m truly honored to be a part of those personal journeys in my readers’ lives. We all need an escape now and then.”

Lee headed to college, unsure of her career plans.

“When I came home during spring break of my freshman year, I talked with my dad about one of my favorite books, The Mists of Avalon, and how I felt that great books are like roller coasters,” she says. “They take you for a wild ride with lots of twists and turns.

Then I blurted out that I wanted to write a book. I wanted to see if I could create that type of wild ride for others.” Lee’s father made her an offer; he would pay her the amount she would have earned working at the bank that summer as she had planned if she would agree to spend the summer writing and consider it her full-time job.

That summer, Lee wrote a novel about the Neolithic people of Stonehenge. “It was hard and I remember thinking, Gosh, this is taking a lot of research,” she says. Lee submitted the book for publication but it was rejected. “I was told that my characters were two-dimensional and that my plot lacked tension,” she says. “But, they also said my story was ‘strangely reminiscent of The Clan of the Cave Bear’ (by Jean M. Auel) which was another one of my favorite books. So what I took away was that my book was like The Clan of the Cave Bear.”

Her book wasn’t a hit, but Lee still found the experience valuable. “That’s how you learn how to StoryMonsters.com | May 2019 | Story Monsters Ink

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FEATURE

TOSCA LEE

is that there is hope throughout. You never quite lose sight of the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Lee says she’s been experiencing some strange coincidences lately with her writing. “There has been some weird ‘life imitating art’ situations happening with me,” she says. “The disease in The Line Between mutates and is transmitted through influenza, which I got while I was writing the book. Also, in the story I write about the National Guard coming in and all of the Blackhawk helicopters flying around and we just saw that happen with all of the flooding here in the Midwest.”

write a novel,” she says. “You write one, or two, or 10.

It took me another whole decade to come up with a book that was ready to send off.”

Lee would go on to publish more books, including Iscariot, the Legend of Sheba: Rise of a Queen and The Book of Mortals series with Ted Dekker. She became known for the depth of her research and the accuracy of her historical portrayals. Her most recent books, The Progeny, Firstborn, and The Line Between lean towards the YA genre.

In The Line Between, Lee introduces 22-year-old Wynter Roth, a stranger to the outside world. “She’s just been expelled from a doomsday cult on the western prairie that’s been her home and her family for years,” says Lee. “She’s starting over in the secular world which she’s been taught to regard as evil.” Simultaneously, an ancient disease, held in the permafrost for centuries, is emerging and slowly becomes a pandemic, sending victims into madness.

Things get worse as the power grid fails. “To Wynter, it looks a lot like the Apocalypse that she’s been taught about,” says Lee. A sequel, A Single Light will be released in September.

“It picks up directly where The Line Between left off,” says Lee. “The Line Between has been called dystopian and A Single Light is somewhat apocalyptic. The thing that sets these books apart from others in the genre 28

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Also, Lee made a breathtaking discovery while writing The Progeny, a story about a young woman who learns she’s a descendant of Elizabeth Bathory, one of the most prolific female serial killers of all time. “I learned that I’m distantly related to Elizabeth Bathory, too,” she says. “It’s been a very eerie sequence of déjà vu.

Next I’m going to write about an author who wins the lottery and loses fifteen pounds.”

Marlboro Road Gang Productions and Radar Pictures recently announced that they are joining together to turn both The Line Between and The Progeny into television series, perhaps because the stories are engaging and appropriate for all ages. “One thing that makes my thrillers, like The Line Between and The Progeny appeal to YA readers (and their parents) isn’t just the age of the characters, but that I write clean,” Lee says. “There are some mature themes, but no major profanity and no explicit sex.”

Lee has a genuine fondness for her readers and feels a certain responsibility to them. “I love to keep my readers entertained,” she says. “I think it all goes back to what my dad and I talked about; that roller coaster ride a good book provides. I know that a lot of people read to take their minds off of difficult things happening in their lives. Maybe it’s caring for an aging parent, maybe they’re going through a difficult divorce or a sickness, or maybe they’re just reading for the fun of it. I’m truly honored to be a part of those personal journeys in my readers’ lives. We all need an escape now and then.”

For more information about Tosca Lee and her books, visit toscalee.com.

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FEATURE

Michael Seese

Michael Seese Pens an Extraordinary Adventure for Middle Grade Readers

by Melissa Fales

Parents, like author Michael Seese, often devote an inordinate amount of their time to accommodating their children’s demanding sports schedules.

During one season’s worth of lingering on the sidelines of his young son’s football practices, Seese wiled away the hours by crafting a story in his head. That story eventually became his first children’s book, The Extraordinary eTab of Julian Newcomber (Common Deer Press), which is set to be released on June 1.

“I don’t remember exactly how it evolved, but I know that once I came up with the idea of Julian’s dad being some kind of wacky inventor, the rest of the story just fell into place,” Seese says.

Right out of college, Seese got a job working as a newspaper reporter and later veered into technical writing. “I had always been a ‘word person’ and I’ve always been fascinated with vocabulary,” he says. Later, Seese went on to work as a computer programmer. “A lot of people don’t get the jump between coding and writing, but computer programming actually is writing,” he says. “It just uses a different language. To me, it’s a natural evolution.”

Seese worked in computer programming until he made the career-changing realization that the different programming languages he worked with required a lot of effort to learn, but had a relatively short lifespan before being replaced with something 30

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new. Recognizing that the need to safely store data would only grow over time, Seese switched paths and pursued a career in the information security field.

Today, Seese’s day job is providing information security for a bank. His job keeps him busy but he also enjoys relaxing with his wife and three kids. “People often ask me, ‘When do you have the time to write?’”

Seese says. “I tell them, ‘When I walk the dog.’” He’s not kidding. Over time, Seese has adapted his writing style to fit into his busy life. “I come up with most of the story in my head,” he says. “I dictate just so I can get the ideas recorded. Then later, I write it down and refine it. It works for me. In fact, I think dictating dialog makes a story sound much more authentic.”

Seese was inspired to try writing for children after reading Barbara Park’s Junie B. Jones series. “I wanted to try writing something for my own children,” he says. Naturally, he started with a book that boasts

FEATURE

Michael Seese

a main character named after one of his kids, his son, Julian. While The Extraordinary eTab of Julian Newcomber isn’t biographical in any way, there are hints of the Seese family’s life within its pages. “For one thing, it’s set in a town called Whispering Falls which bears a remarkable resemblance to Chagrin Falls, Ohio, where I live,” Seese says.

Originally, the book was much shorter, closer to 12,000 words. “I tried pitching it to publishers but I kept getting form rejection letters,” says Seese.

“Finally, one of the publishers told me in their rejection letter that if I wanted to write for middle grade, a book really needed to be closer to 25,000 or even 30,000 words. So I wrote more.” Seese had a

“One thing I tried to focus on was making sure that the book is fun for adults, too.

I threw in some humor that only grown-ups will catch.

My goal is to make a book the kids will like that won’t bore their parents.” finished rough draft completed nearly two years ago.

“Then I started the editing process with the folks at Common Deer Press,” he says.

The Extraordinary eTab of Julian Newcomber follows 12-year-old Julian, whose family moves frequently out of necessity, namely every time one of his father’s inventions malfunctions and destroys their home.

As the book opens, Julian is playing with his father’s latest creation, a mobile device called the eTab. Julian soon learns that the eTab has one amazing capability: It can alter time. He discovers the eTab’s powers when he comes face-to-face with his future, 20-year-old self.

Grown-up Julian reaches out to young Julian for help when his eTab’s battery is drained too low on power for him to travel forward to his place in time. Over 32

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the course of their adventure, the two Julians engage in some shenanigans, but their amusement is always clouded by the fear that grown-up Julian’s presence in young Julian’s world could potentially upset the spacetime continuum.

Seese says he hopes that children find his book fun and entertaining, and promises that they’ll be learning as they laugh, although they might not realize it. “The book is somewhat of a vocabulary lesson,” he says, commenting on his technique of using common words right alongside of synonyms children might not be aware of. “One thing I tried to focus on was making sure that the book is fun for adults, too,” Seese says. “I threw in some humor that only grown-ups will catch.

My goal is to make a book the kids will like that won’t bore their parents.”

Currently, Seese is working on a book for adults. “It’s kind of like a Cinderella/Aeon Flux mash-up,” he says.

“I thought it would make a fun fiction book.” He’s also not finished with writing for children. When asked if he might create a whole series about Julian, Seese explains that he has two other children, Dylan and Olivia who will need to be placated first. “I can’t write about only one of my kids,” he says. “I’ve got to write at least two more books.”

For more information about Michael Seese and The Extraordinary eTab of Julian Newcomber, visit michaelseese.com.

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LIFE OF A READER

JUDY NEWMAN

Diary of a True Jeff Kinney Fan My First Entry

Hi, my name is Judy Newman, and I love Jeff Kinney.

I first met Jeff in 2007 when Diary of a Wimpy Kid was published. Since then, I have watched Jeff’s books turn millions and millions of kids into avid readers— changing their lives forever in the very best way!

My Second Entry

One of the reasons I love Jeff Kinney so much is that he really helps me do my job. As Reader in Chief of Scholastic Book Clubs, it is my responsibility to help kids (and their teachers and parents) find books that will turn them onto reading and turn them into readers. And that is exactly what Jeff Kinney’s books do: turn kids into readers!

Each year, when a new Wimpy Kid title comes out, it is like every happy holiday rolled into one at Scholastic Book Clubs. And even though the publication dates are usually in early November, excitement starts early.

Around Labor Day, just after the dog days of summer, we begin hearing from kids, teachers, and parents about when the new Wimpy Kid book will be shipped with their Scholastic book orders. The pressure gets so intense; each year we have to come up with a special “while you wait” gift for teachers to give to students to make their wait for the latest Wimpy Kid a little easier—and help teachers get their students to pay attention to other things, like math lessons.

Cheese touch bookmarks, Wimpy Kid bracelets, The Getaway paper airplanes, and other gifts make waiting for the new book a little easier.

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Finally! When the publication date comes, at last, Scholastic Book Clubs ships hundreds of thousands of copies of Jeff’s books from Scholastic’s distribution center in Jefferson City, Missouri, to every school in the country. I heard a rumor that some of the Scholastic employees—who work so hard each year to make sure all the copies of the new Wimpy Kid book get to kids’ classrooms at the same time—believe Rowley Jefferson is named for their town, Jefferson City. The next time I see Jeff, I will ask him if that is true.

I agree with Scholastic employees who believe Jeff might have named his character Rowley Jefferson after their town.

My Third Entry

When I heard Jeff Kinney had written a new book called Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid, I wanted to find him and get my own copy to read first so I could be prepared for publication day and all the excitement I knew was coming our way!

I headed to the Bologna International Children’s Book Fair because I was sure Jeff would be there (plus I was also going to be attending some work meetings).

It was a long haul and I was super jet-lagged from flying all night from Newark to Italy, but I resisted the urge to nap. I put on my Bologna Book Fair ID badge and headed straight to Abrams—Jeff’s publisher’s booth—but when I got there, they told me Jeff had come and gone. The ugly truth was that I had JUST MISSED HIM!

DIARY OF A TRUE JEFF KINNEY FAN

I went back to my hotel, took a nap, then started looking again. I searched through the hundreds of publishers’ booths at the fair. I figured Jeff might be wandering around, checking out the latest editions of all his books in all kinds of languages. I did find Jeff’s books in Catalan: The Meltdown (Diari del Greg 5. La crua realitat), Rodrick Rules (Diari del Greg 2.

El Rodrick mana), and The Last Straw (Diari del Greg 3. Això és massa!); in Norwegian: Rodrick Rules (En pingles dagbok. Rodrick ruler) and The Last Straw (Nok er nok); and predictably, since I was in Italy after all, Cabin Fever (Diario di una schiappa. Si salvi chi può!) in Italian. I found all the books in all these languages … and more. But no Jeff.

LIFE OF A READER

I found Michael Jacobs, Jeff’s longtime publisher and the CEO of Abrams. But Jeff was not with him. Sigh … my hard luck!

Michael Jacobs had not seen Jeff.

I was starting to feel like Fregley, but I tried not to take it personally. I was striking out looking for Jeff.

I had to get back to my Scholastic office in New York and make sure everything was ready for shipping Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid. I did not want to have a meltdown, but I had to give up on finding Jeff.

I then headed to downtown Bologna to a bookstore called la Feltrinelli. The beautiful old-school bookstore was packed with book lovers, which always makes me happy to see, and there was a very well-attended author reading going on. I waited around to see if Jeff would show up and be the next author presenter, but … no luck.

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LIFE OF A READER

DIARY OF A TRUE JEFF KINNEY FAN

On the plane ride back to Newark, I reviewed where I had been and started thinking about where I could look for Jeff next when I got back to the States. I decided I would double down and take a road trip to visit my dad in Newton, Massachusetts, and stop at Jeff’s bookstore, An Unlikely Story, in Plainville, Massachusetts, on the way. But I wasn’t going to be able to get away again for a few weeks, so my search for Jeff Kinney had to stop for now.

Michael Jacobs had not seen Jeff.

We even got an Awesome Special Cheese Plate.

But things started to turn around when I got back to work. My assistant, Amber Suarez, told me that she had just gotten the news that Jeff Kinney himself was going to be featured on the cover of Story Monsters Ink this month. I felt like I was getting closer!

Scholastic Book Clubs’ good friend Paul Brubaker, Communications PIO at Paterson Public Schools, told us that Jeff was making a school visit to Paterson Academy, School 28, in Paterson, New Jersey, which is super close to our Scholastic office in New York City.

We had just been at a school visit in Paterson last week—the same town Jeff was going to. I felt like we were getting even closer.

Final Diary Entry

Here’s the moral of my story: never give up on books and authors you love! Stay in it for the long haul. I know you are going to want to sit down and start reading Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid and probably won’t have time to go searching around the world for Jeff Kinney like I did. So I’ll save you the jet lag and share a special message to you from Jeff right here.

As Rowley would say…ZOO-WEE MAMA! As I would say, happy reading!

And then! I know you aren’t going to believe this, but it is TOTALLY TRUE! Jeff Kinney came to my office at Scholastic Book Clubs. He hand-delivered a copy of his brand-new Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid in this supercool gift box. He drove up in the Awesome Friendly Party Bus, hung out with the Scholastic Book Clubs team, and posed for photos.

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•

Think you know the Wimpy Kid series well?

Careful readers will catch all the references to Wimpy Kid in this column but know that something is missing! What is it? Write to me with the correct answer at judy.newman@ scholastic.com and you’ll be eligible to win a free complete set of every Jeff Kinney book.

Judy Newman is President and Reader-in-Chief of Scholastic Book Clubs. For more information, visit judynewmanatscholastic.com.

"... a thoroughly enjoyable fantasy."

—Foreword Reviews "Spellbinding." —Kirkus Reviews "... a definite winner." —Booklist "An immersive read oozing with crossgenre appeal..." —School Library Journal The Boy from Tomorrow by Camille DeAngelis HC ISBN: 9781944995614 | PB ISBN: 9781948705202 Distributed to the trade by IPG and available wherever books are sold.

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ADVERTORIAL

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Andi C. Kryszak

ADVERTORIAL

Andi C. Kryszak Imagines Her Dog’s Road to Rescue in New Picture Book

by Melissa Fales

Andi C. Kryszak is an attorney, specializing in estate planning and elder law. It’s a serious job, often making it hard for her to unwind and relax after a long day at work. Luckily, she has a goofy Doberman named Curly waiting for her when she gets home and his antics never fail to make her laugh. In an effort to encourage others to consider adopting a rescue dog of their own, Kryszak wrote a children’s picture book called My Name is Curly (Wisdom House Books). “The things Curly does made me want to write a book,” she says. “He brings out my silly side. He brightens up my life.”

Kryszak has always been an animal lover. Her parents surprised her with her first dog when she was 10 years old. “I had been away at Girl Scout camp and when I got home, my mother was nowhere to be found,” she says. “It made me really crabby because I wanted to see her. I couldn’t believe she wasn’t there to greet me after I had been away. I was in my room unpacking when I heard a bark. It turned out my mother was hiding in the basement with a puppy for me, a yellow Lab we named Jake.” Ever since then, dogs, and rescue dogs in particular, have been a part of Kryszak’s StoryMonsters.com | May 2019 | Story Monsters Ink

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ADVERTORIAL

Andi C. Kryszak

life. “In My Name is Curly, there’s a dedication by my husband and me to all of the dogs who have been a part of our lives.”

When Kryszak and her husband, Dave, lost their beloved Doberman, Allie, in 2013, they were devastated. “We realized right away that we wanted another dog, another Doberman,” says Kryszak. They contacted their friend, Lorie Wilbur, who runs a nonprofit organization called Partners with Paws, which helps connect rescue dogs with people who want to adopt them. Soon the Kryszaks got a call from Wilbur that two Dobermans had been found running around a landfill and needed a home. “She sent us a picture,” says Kryszak. “They were in pretty rough shape but we said we’d take both of them.”

The Kryszaks welcomed the pair into their home. They named the male Curly. “His ears are deformed,” says Kryszak. “We think whoever had him before us tried

“We need to encourage more people to ‘adopt not shop’ for animals. It’s amazing how much of a difference you can make in the life of an animal.

And the animals know.

They absolutely know that you rescued them. It’s extremely rewarding.”

to crop his years, unsuccessfully. The injury has caused them to curl up.” They called the female, Tater Tot, to match the shape of her body. The Kryszaks were told the two dogs had bonded, but they soon realized that wasn’t the case. “They didn’t get along at all,” says Kryszak. “In fact, Tater Tot seemed to hate Curly, she always growled at him.” Kryszak worried the dogs would fight during the day while she and her husband were at work. Even when the Kryszaks were home, they had to keep the dogs separated. “I’d be in one room with Curly and my husband would be in another room with Tater Tot,” Kryszak says. “It got out of hand. You can’t live like that.”

The situation intensified when the Kryszaks learned that Curly has Von Willebrand disease, which affects his blood’s ability to clot. They found out the hard way, when Curly chewed at his stitches from being neutered, began bleeding nonstop, and had to be rushed to the vet. “Two transfusions later, he was good to go, but it showed us that we couldn’t take the chance that Tater Tot would hurt him,” says Kryszak.

“Even a little nip from her could be fatal for him.”

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Andi C. Kryszak

The Kryszaks made the difficult decision to re-home Tater Tot. “She’s not a bad girl,” says Kryszak. “She just didn’t get along with Curly. She’d be the perfect dog in a house with no other dogs.” The night before Tater Tot was to be re-homed, she lunged for Curly’s neck without any provocation. “I took that as my sign from God that we were doing the right thing,” says Kryszak. Today the Kryszaks have two Dobermans, Curly and Luna, who was also a rescue dog, and the two get along great.

Kryszak said she’s often wondered about Curly’s life before he was found roaming around that landfill.

“We don’t know what it was like for him, but I had fun imagining what he might have gotten into,” she says.

In My Name is Curly, Curly leaves his familiar barnyard and wanders deep into the woods where he becomes hopelessly lost. Along the way, he meets a raccoon, Rambo, and the two try to find a way home together.

“Eventually, they stumble upon a garbage truck,” says Kryszak. “They hop on and they get taken to the dump, where Curly is found.” Kryszak says she loves the way Grace C. Schlea’s illustrations complement her words.

“She really brings it all together,” says Kryszak.

ADVERTORIAL

bringing a dog from one rescue group to another,” she says. “It was a really cool experience. I never thought I would like a Chihuahua until I held one on my lap for one trip.”

Kryszak feels so strongly about rescuing animals that she has created an endowment fund through the Community Foundation of Lorain County, Ohio called Curly’s Kids Animal Education Fund. “My goal is to create a program that will bring children and animals together in a meaningful manner,” Kryszak says.

“Maybe we could have a program where children could read to the rescue dogs. That would be good for both the dogs and the kids. And most importantly, it would raise awareness about this issue.” A portion of the sales from My Name is Curly will go into this fund. “I love the idea that Curly’s story can help other rescue dogs find forever homes.”

For more information about Andi Kryszak, visit curlythesillydog.com.

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For Kryszak, writing for kids and coming up with silly rhymes was a welcome respite from her work. “Even though I’m very serious when I’m doing my job, I’m actually very silly,” she confesses. “I love kids, even though I don’t have any. I find that writing for kids gives me an opportunity to capture my silly side and helps me find balance in my life.” Kryszak has already written a second book. “It’s also about Curly, but this time it follows his adventures with Luna,” she says. “I even have an idea for a third book that will introduce some new characters.”

Kryszak’s main purpose in writing books about Curly is to teach kids about the importance of animal rescue.

“We need to encourage more people to ‘adopt not shop’ for animals,” she says. “It’s amazing how much of a difference you can make in the life of an animal.

And the animals know. They absolutely know that you rescued them. It’s extremely rewarding.”

Previously, Kryszak has been involved with transporting rescue dogs to their new homes. “I would often drive from Cleveland to the Pennsylvania line, StoryMonsters.com | May 2019 | Story Monsters Ink

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CONRAD’S CLASSROOM

Writing Rainbows

by Conrad J. Storad

Writing is a solitary task. It can be brutal. The starting point is often a writer alone with his or her thoughts staring at a blank piece of paper or at an empty computer screen. The process itself is different for every writer. To be sure, writing is much more than simply putting together strings of words and sentences and paragraphs. The act of writing is about sharing a bit of oneself with the world.

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Are writers born, or can a person be taught to be a writer? I’m not sure. However, as an author and teacher, I try to share the snippets of writing wisdom I’ve gained over the years. I try to act as a guide for young writers during the nonfiction writing workshops I conduct at schools and libraries across the country.

One thing is certain: Writing is best learned by doing.

To become a good writer, one must write, and then

CONRAD’S CLASSROOM

write some more. Writing about science and nature can up the ante. The writer must be precise with his or her choice of words. Clear, concise description is vital to helping the reader understand, especially when the topic is something totally new or unknown. The best writers know how to paint vibrant pictures with words alone.

I like to use simple thought exercises to help build “writing muscle.” Following is an exercise I’ve used with fourth and fifth graders, and with adults as well. Ready for the challenge? This is the scenario: Aliens have landed on the Earth. They are here, today, in your town. They are not hostile. They are not weird or scary. These aliens look much like us. They are curious to learn more about humans and our world. Within the hour they will arrive in your classroom. They will ask you some questions. Your only tools to answer them will be a piece of paper and a pencil … and your ability to choose and write the best words. Their first question to you: What is a rainbow? These aliens have never seen a rainbow. They’ve heard a bit about rainbows, but not much. Your job is to answer their question using only words.

Easy, right? Try to write your best answer in 10 minutes. No reference books. No Googling.

After a few moments of giggles and looking at blank stares from my audience, I offer some advice. Think of the five W’s. Who? What? Why? When? Where? And don’t forget the H for How? Older writers often make the mistake of trying to answer the Why and How questions first. And they get tangled up with words like “reflection” when the word they should use is “refraction.” They want to explain the physics and hard core science of rainbows in one big gush of words. They forget about their audience. They forget to describe the obvious.

Young students tend to bore right in and simply describe what they know of a rainbow. They answer the basic questions. They explain what a rainbow looks like.

The colors. The shape. Where do you see a rainbow?

When do you see one? They use words such as stripes and colorful and arch and beautiful.

is the boss for the moment. Some writers choose to write straight narrative. Others write poems or rhyming stories.

Some write songs, even rap songs.

But one young writer’s response will always remain at the top of my memory. The writer was a third grader in Kingman, Arizona. The young boy chose to write his response to the alien’s question in the form of a letter. I paraphrase, but his answer went something like this:

Dear Aliens, Welcome to our planet. I hope you get to see a rainbow during your visit. A rainbow is pretty. It is red and blue and yellow and lots of colors. It looks like a colorful half a donut in the sky.

Your friend, Tanner

Simple. To the point. Refreshing. Of course, there is plenty more to be told about rainbows. But, that is always the case regardless of the subject. Happy writing!

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Conrad J. Storad The award-winning author and editor of more than 50 science and nature books for children and young adults, Conrad J. Storad expertly draws young readers into his imaginative and entertaining “classroom” to help them better understand and appreciate the natural world.

I’ve done this writing exercise with thousands of writers of all ages over the years. The results I get are often amazing.

Remember, I never tell the writers in my workshops HOW they should write about rainbows for the aliens. The writer StoryMonsters.com | May 2019 | Story Monsters Ink

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TEACHING TOOLBOX

Teaching Toolbox:

Class Books

by Larissa Juliano

Children creating a classroom book for our book collection this year has been one of the most motivating and inspirational writing projects I’ve done in my 13+ years of teaching. A class book is when each student contributes a page about a topic decided ahead of time by the teacher (inspiration ideas below) and the teacher creates a cover (definitely laminated!) and binds all the responses together for everyone’s reading pleasure.

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A collection of each child’s words and pictures is so enticing for children as they eagerly grab these class books and giggle over their classmates depiction of a funny part of the story, creative illustrations, interpretations about the ending, or resolution to a story (i.e., how could a character have helped _______ in the story? What would you have done during this problem? And so on.

TEACHING TOOLBOX

What I also love about class book creations is it allows children to view and take in other classmates’ work more informally and with additional processing time. This can be very motivating for some kids as they notice how their classmates’ writing might be more legible, pictures seem to be more thoughtfully illustrated, etc. It’s like going into other teachers’ classrooms and getting some great ideas to bring back to your own personal space, and in this case, taking ideas and motivation back to their own writing and drawing journals!

Something I’ve discovered this year with my teaching assistant is when we start our writing workshop times with handwriting practice and word wall dictation/writing, it is the perfect warm-up before we transfer these words into our class book.

BONUS: A personal goal of mine is to create enough books that each child in my classroom gets to take one home—what a special keepsake for them to re-visit time and time again, and also to see growth in their writing as the school years continue. Parents also love reading these as they get a sense of the children in the class, not just academically, but more personality- and interest-wise. Class books make the best conversation starter!

Ideas for Class Books can come from everywhere!

Obviously, wonderful literature is my biggest inspiration. After reading, I love bringing out my “Caring Sharing Bear” to pass around the class and share our thoughts and questions about these books as a whole group first. Applying these wonderful topics of conversation into our class books is the next natural step (oral to written).

Make the prompts something you know they will have a personal connection to.

When it’s time to write, let them write! Allow them ownership with their writing. If some of my students want to write about something a little off-topic from the sentence starter, I usually encourage it as long as it still connects with the

book somehow. Use your judgement. In a future Teaching Toolbox column, we will go more in-depth about journal writing.

Here are some ideas to get started. Note: Prompts can be much more specific and tailored to the literature read prior to writing time. These are just general suggestions.

General Fiction Literature Class Book Prompts: »» My character likes to…. »» I liked when…. »» I enjoyed.... »» My favorite animal is…. »» I think the [character] should have…. »» I feel sad/happy/mad when…. »» I visualized.... »» This reminded me of....

Non-Fiction Class Book Prompts: Questions children may still have, beginning with the “W” questions: Why, where, what, who, when? »» We learned.... »» We noticed.... »» I want to be a.... »» I wondered about....

Math Class Book Prompts: »» My story problem is about.... »» This is my adding/subtracting/counting picture about…. »» My favorite shape is.... »» I am heavier than a ____ but lighter than a ____ (our measuring unit)

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TEACHING TOOLBOX

These sentence starters can be provided on the bottom of a paper ahead of time by the teacher, or children can write the whole sentence. I have found that as their writing skills develop and mature, they like to start the sentence in their own way (although still responding to the prompt) and in fact, prefer that. It puts a little twist on their page and allows them choice and more authenticity in their writing. Note: Class books can absolutely be created by older children with longer writing responses, writing from the viewpoint of a different character, changing the ending of a story, etc. The possibilities are endless!

My general lesson plan when starting a class book is sort of an extension of our regular writing workshop, so conventions have been introduced, spacing between lines, etc. These writing expectations are always a given during this time, and of course modelled explicitly when appropriate. Also, I will often make copies of my student’s work in the class book if it’s something I want to save for a writing folder, parent conference, etc.

Class Book Lesson - approximately 30 minutes GOAL: To understand and respond to fiction and non-fiction literature and/or lessons using grade-level appropriate conventions, along with sight words and sound spelling trickier words to our best ability (always getting as many sounds as we can). »» Share story (or lesson if it is a math or social studies lesson) »» Discuss prompt (this is when I pass around my sharing bear in a circle) »» Pass out dry erase (I don’t always do during class book lesson time, but often) »» Practice handwriting, sight words, etc. on dry erase boards (reference word wall!)

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»» On dry erase boards, model, then guide students to write their response (i.e., I liked when…) This is the time to notice who will need a bit more support during the writing time. Although, as educators you already know who will need more guidance! Hold boards in the air for checking. »» Pass out papers and have students write and illustrate their responses. Circulate and assist with writing and adding more to their responses if they’re ready! This will be so fresh in their minds after all the discussion and writing prep work. »» Lastly, teachers make covers and bind the responses to make a book. A student, teacher, and parent keepsake!

Do your students love being authors? Have you made class books before? What are some books that were sources of inspiration? What about older students? Have you noticed these are the most popular picks during “Book of Choice Time?” I would love to hear from you! Share your experiences at storymonsters.com or tweet us at @storymonsters and @larissaSjuliano using the hashtag #teacherstoolbox.

Note: A special thank you to The Center of Collaborative Classroom for including class books (and so much more!) as a part of my school district’s outstanding ELA curriculum.

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Larissa Juliano is an elementary school teacher, reading specialist, and children’s book author.

Follow her on Twitter @larissasjuliano or visit larissajuliano.com.

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READING

LIST The Little Labradoodle: Puppy Pickup Day

by April M. Cox Kids fall in love with the smallest doodle pup who is excluded from play. Lost on Puppy Pickup Day, he needs to get home in time to be adopted. Can new friends help? The fun rhyme, heartwarming story and beautiful illustrations have made this a bestseller and multi-award-winning book. Bonus Content: Spanish Translation, Audio Book, Teacher’s Guide, Coloring Book, Original Song. Available gift set includes Little Labradoodle plush.

The Real Farmer in the Dell

by Sandra Sutter Everyone knows the song, “The Farmer in the Dell,” but no one knows the REAL story. Find out the truth from a little mouse who was actually there. Prepare for a modern twist that turns the original stereotypes upside down and empowers girls and boys to imagine new possibilities. Filled with humor and fun retro-rodeo illustrations, this book is sure to surprise you to the very end.

Meet Odie (A Paw Smart Book)

by D.S. Provance Story Monsters Approved: Early Readers. Why do dogs sniff, bees buzz, and lizards shed skin? Narrated by a dog, Paw Smart books tell you.

They provide quirky facts about many animals and plants. In Meet Odie, Odie helps children understand dogs.

In Odie Explores, he shares his joy of exploring. Both lighthearted books contain photographs and a glossary that a reviewer said “will put a smile on your face and help your child expand their vocabulary.”

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Beverlee Beaz, the Brown Burmese

by Regan W.H. Macaulay Beverlee Beaz, the brown Burmese, longs for adventure and has the powerful imagination to make it happen. On a lovely, but otherwise ordinary day, she seeks excitement among the forests and fields surrounding her home. The ordinary suddenly becomes extraordinary in the eyes of this wildly creative little brown cat. Follow Beverlee on her adventure through the forest, over the hills… and into the world of her imagination! Available online through Mirror World Publishing: https://mirror-world-publishing. myshopify.com/

The Forever Kid

by Elizabeth Mary Cummings When a child dies, a family is forever changed. The sense of grief and loss are now part of their daily life. Every family event, particularly birthdays and anniversaries, are painful. Times of celebration are touched with sadness. Can there be any comfort for families in this time of grief? This narrative told through the voice of a sibling looks at how a family carries on while still remembering and connecting with their departed “forever” child.

Gracie Lou

by Larissa Juliano Gracie Lou is bored. And lonely.

What is a little girl to do when there’s nowhere to go and no one to play with? Wish upon a star! As Gracie Lou travels through the starry sky to magical lands, she experiences exciting and whimsical adventures that ignite all her five senses. Readers will delight in the vivacity of Gracie Lou’s imagination (or is it?) as they anticipate where the curly-haired cutie will head to next.

SPRING READING LIST

Little Cat Lost

I See the Sun series

by Satya House Explore the world! Life in different countries seen from a child’s point of view. Each bilingual picture book in this award-winning series focuses on one country and one day in the life of one child with a story told from the child’s perspective. Learn about different cultures, family life, and language in a way that is sensitive to each culture. Age-appropriate (5+) country facts and a glossary for extended learning are included in each book. NEW in 2019: I See the Sun in India. Other titles are I See the Sun in. . .USA, Mexico, China, Nepal, Afghanistan, Russia, Turkey, and Myanmar (Burma). satyahouse.com

The Adventures of Mimi and Lulu

by Hayde Romero Mimi and Lulu’s adventures happen in their dreams. Bed time is always the beginning to an adventure. This book contains two adventures, The Fallen Star and The River Mystery.

In The Fallen Star, Mimi and Lulu along with their sidekick Magellan, need to figure out a way to reunite a baby star with her mommy. The River Mystery focuses on solving a puzzling dilemma. Both stories deliver a message of kindness.

Available at Amazon.com.

Celia and the Little Boy

by Irene Applebaum Buchine Irene Buchine addresses childhood depression with her Dragonfly Award-winning book, Celia and the Little Boy. Based on the author’s personal experience raising a young child with depression, the story explores the challenges of two children who become trapped in the darkness of depression together and what it takes for them to find their way out. A valuable resource for those who are struggling with depression and for all who love them. Featured author, Story Monsters Ink Magazine, July 2018.

by Judy Bergman Hochberg Cats are curious creatures, and Little Cat is no exception. One day she sees a bunch of balloons float by her window. Intrigued, Little Cat follows the balloons, and soon finds herself lost in the middle of the zoo! Who are all these mysterious creatures?

Will Little Cat find her way home? Who will help her?

The menagerie of animal characters she meets are sure to satisfy the curiosity of readers young and old!

Bubba and Squirt’s Big Dig to China

by Sherry Ellis Squirt doesn’t believe Bubba can dig a hole to China. But when the hole swallows them, the kids find themselves in Xi’an China, surrounded

by Terracotta Warriors. It gets worse when the ghost of the first emperor of China appears and tells them they can’t go home until they find his missing artifact. They begin the search and soon realize they are being followed. Will Bubba and Squirt ever make it back home?

Adventures in Boogieland

by A.R. Bey Arcadia seemed to be an ordinary town for Simon X, who wanted nothing more than to become the best trumpeter ever. After auditioning for the prestigious Bartholomew Performing Arts Academy, he and his classmates Lulu DeBarge, the harpist, Krupa Patel, the violinist, and Maxwell Winehouse, the saxophonist, find themselves in Boogieland.

Led by the eccentric Madame Charisma Divine and the wonder of her ways, will the children overcome their fears to unleash the music within?

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SPRING READING LIST

Mona Lisa’s Ghost

by Nancy Kunhardt Lodge Mona Lisa’s Ghost is a middle grade adventure. One of Lucy Nightingale’s classmates tells her that she is the reincarnation of Mona Lisa and then steals the painting. Lucy must find it. This book is sure to entertain and inspire young readers as Lucy learns to trust her intuition, and to see herself, others, and the world around her with greater clarity, and to believe in the magic that lies inside every one of us.

The Magnificent Flying Baron Estate

by Eric Bower Waldo Baron’s parents are more than a little strange. They’re mad scientists, and their latest invention is turning their house into a flying estate! When the family is kidnapped after entering into a race across the country, Waldo becomes friendly with their kindly kidnapper, and learns not to judge a book by its cover. “… about as wild as one might hope the West can get.” - Kirkus Reviews

The Splendid Baron Submarine

by Eric Bower When the Baron family is given the super-secret and intensely important mission to retrieve a sunken pirate treasure and save the country from bankruptcy, they dive into adventure in their splendid submarine. Evil monkeys, a pirate’s curse, the world’s most stolen diamond… WB is in for quite an adventure! “Kids will thrill over reading this book.” - Story Monsters Ink

Sandalrella: Perceptions of a Teenage Famepire

by John Delery In this young-adult satire, Sandalrella Twain—a restless, ambitious senior at the Kimye High School for Celebrity Journalism and Other Nonsense Americans Consider News—dreads daily butt-shaming from skeletal members of the UnFed, the skinny-chicks’ clique, and detests the “humiliation” of still owning a dumbphone in a smartphone universe. Although Sandalrella “yearns to be heard,” she prefers texting to talking until she loses her lifeline—that precious phone!— and discovers her voice. Check out the review in this issue!

Available at sandalrella.com

The Wonderful Baron Doppelgänger Device

by Eric Bower When someone gets ahold of the Barons’ Wonderful Doppelgänger Device, which allows them to transform into anyone, they use it to land Rose in jail and abduct W.B. onto a train bound for the other side of the country. But who wants to replace W.B.? “This is a wonderful installment in a truly delightful series... The story is full of clever twists and turns, and W.B.’s antics are always funny.”

- Foreword Reviews, Starred Review

The Tremendous Baron Time Machine

by Eric Bower W.B. is back and more disappointed than ever when he discovers a new series of popular books depict the Barons as bumbling fools. As family members disappear one by one, P realizes that the author of the books is not out to ruin just their reputation, he’s determined to erase their past. The Baron family must race to intercept their rival time-traveler and stop him from erasing the entire family from existence before time runs out.

Click on the book cover to purchase any of the above titles.

To advertise your book in our Reading list, contact Cristy Bertini at cristy@storymonsters.com for rate information.

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MONSTERS AT THE MOVIES

Storm Boy reviewed by Nick Spake • grade: B+

Storm Boy is in the spirit of Old Yeller, My Dog Skip, and various other family films about the unbreakable bond between a boy and his dog. The one major difference here, however, is that the dog is substituted with a pelican. It’s no secret that canines usually make great onscreen presences, given their high energy and emotive faces. Birds, meanwhile, are difficult to train and even harder to get an emotional reaction out of.

What makes Storm Boy such an impressive feat is that the relationship between the humans and animals not only feels genuine, but the pelicans used are actually good little actors.

The film is based on Colin Thiele’s 1964 children’s book, which was previously adapted into a 1976 movie. This new version casts the great Geoffrey Rush as an elderly Mike “Storm Boy” Kingley. In flashbacks, Mike is played by Finn Little, who’s been left with a hole in his heart ever since his mother and sister died in a car crash. Mike lives on a secluded coast with his father (Jai Courtney) and the only other local is an Aboriginal man named Fingerbone Bill (Trevor Jamieson). Everything changes when Mike encounters three baby pelicans who have been orphaned due to hunters. Although it seems like a lost cause, Mike decides to take the pelicans in and gives them nourishment.

As the pelicans grow up, Mike develops a strong attachment to all of them, particularly one he names Mr. Percival. While Mike’s connection with the pelicans gives the movie a beating heart, his relationship with his father is equally powerful.

In so many films like this, the father is depicted as a cold, stern figure who views affection as a sign of weakness. Here, though, Mike’s father can see that his son needs these pelicans just as much as they need him. Even if the pelicans can be an inconvenience, he still embraces their presence and even helps accommodate them. Yet, the father knows 52

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that a time will come when the birds have to leave the nest and eventually so will his son.

It’s also a pleasant surprise to see a film such as this without a major villain. Granted, there are a couple antagonistic hunters, but they refreshingly aren’t depicted in a cartoonishly evil way. If anything, their presence is downplayed and much of the time they aren’t even shown onscreen. The way Storm Boy addresses the dangers of man is actually quite reminiscent of Bambi. Even when we don’t see the hunters, there’s always a foreboding sense of danger, especially whenever Mr. Percival flies towards gunfire.

As grim as some moments are, it’s balanced out with a lot of charming, heartfelt scenes that’ll make audiences appreciate nature without coming across as manipulative.

That’s perhaps the greatest achievement in Storm Boy. It’s not easy to make an environmentally conscious film without being too on the nose, or in this case on the beak. There are certainly moments in the film where the overarching message can come off as obvious, but it’s always treated with sincerity and intelligence. The laidback approach to the material only adds to the authenticity, making for a slice-oflife picture that rings true more often than not. For a story that could’ve gotten trapped in a bird box, Storm Boy manages to soar.

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Nick Spake has been working as a film critic for ten years reviewing movies on his website: nickpicksflicks.com.

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Livon Life

What is your dream class?

by Olivia Amiri

If you could have any class on your school schedule, what would it be?

I would love to have a tinkering and inventing class where you walk in the classroom and the first thing you see are wall-to-wall cubbies filled with fabric, motors, paints, wire, foam, etc. Also, there would be an entire corkboard wall that could be utilized as your inspiration or your dream wall, where you could tack notes and pictures and begin your creation. All materials and cubbies would be labeled and have an information card, making it easy to begin your invention and dream project. The information cards would tell you about the items and their uses. At the entrance of the room there would be a list if anyone wanted supplies that were not in the classroom. There would be drafting tables, hot glue guns, 3D printing, along with drills and welding. In one corner there would be big beanbag chairs with stacks of magazines to help stimulate your imagination.

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This class would have NO homework; the only thing required at home would be to further draw your blueprint of your dream project or invention. This class would not only be fun, but it would be a great opportunity to use your innate imagination to learn about making your own things from scratch. Write down on a piece of paper your dream class and hand it to the principal or teacher at your school. Maybe they will take your suggestion in to consideration and next year you might see that class on your school’s schedule!

•

Olivia Amiri 12-year-old Olivia Amiri is a little girl with big advice! Sharing insights and observations on the world around us, her message is clear: kids are still the best teachers to remind grown-ups of the simple joys in life. livonlife.com

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BOOK REVIEWS

I See the Moon: Rhymes for Bedtime

by Rosalind Beardshaw (Nosy Crow) Reviewer: Dr. Dawn Menge Are you looking for a colorful book to read at bedtime to your child? The illustrations are brightly colored and there is an added shine to catch a small child’s attention. This book is filled with the classics such as “Hush-a-Bye, Baby,” “Twinkle, Twinkle and Sleep,” “Baby, Sleep.” Cuddle up with your toddler and help them fall asleep by reading, “Good night, sleep tight. Don’t let the bedbugs bite. Wake up bright in the morning light. To do what’s right, with all your might.” This one will surely become a favorite with your child. (Ages 2-5)

When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree

by Jamie L.B. Deenihan, Lorraine Rocha (Sterling Children’s Books) Reviewer: Darleen Wohlfeil A child’s first introduction to the emotional lesson: When life gives you lemons. Literally! There is much to glean and enjoy in this seemingly light tale. Hidden gems of community, the rewards of patience, the power of productivity, and the ability to look past the moment to find a continuing benefit, are all tucked sweetly between the pages for any open heart to discover. As well as the more direct, and much needed tips on how to receive a lemon graciously!

Surely, a great literary staple. For any home library. (Ages 3+)

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I Can Only Draw Worms

by Will Mabbitt (Penguin Workshop) Reviewer: Julianne Black It’s an absolutely adorable book with just enough counting to call it a counting book. With silliness and misadventure on every page, your kiddo is sure to enjoy it! We’ve read this one front to back and back to front, and it always gets laughs.

(Ages 3-5)

Star in the Jar

by Sam Hay, Sarah Massini (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky) Reviewer: Larissa Juliano Star in the Jar is an absolutely delightful and special story about sibling moments, finding treasures, and setting free something we love.

The sparkly story begins with a little girl recounting all the treasures her brother likes to collect— treasures that tickle, treasures that hide in trash, and treasures that slide down the slide with him—but nothing compares to an extra glittery treasure he finds at the park. Readers will love how it unfolds. A sweet story about doing the right thing, and no matter how far away friends may be, they always stay (and twinkle) in our hearts. (Ages 3-6)

For All the Stars Across the Sky

by Karl Newson, Chiaki Okada (Candlewick) Reviewer: Darleen Wohlfeil This is truly a delightful book. The illustrations are soft and heartfelt, lending a gentle ease to the moving voice of childhood.

Loving memories will surely root in the depth of soil that comes with precious moments of cuddling in familiar safety, where our imaginations are free to grow. (Ages 3-7)

BOOK REVIEWS

Diamond’s Kindergarten Madness

Ninja Camp

by Sue Fliess, Jen Taylor (Running Kids Press) Reviewer: Diana Fisher For children interested in martial arts, Ninja Camp is the entertaining adventure of multicultural ninja students training, learning the ninja creed, and testing their abilities by retrieving—ninja style—the stolen “shadow blade.” This rhyming story reads well and the stylized illustrations are colorful and fun. (Ages 4-8)

by Nicole M. Stevenson (CreateSpace) Reviewer: Darleen Wohlfeil This is a cheery approach to those first day of school jitters. As Diamond’s apprehension gets away from her, she imagines all sorts of scary things that await her. How relieved she is when she arrives! The illustrations are as sweet as Diamond herself.

The author has included a helpful list of ways to prevent those first day jitters. (Ages 5-6)

Change the World Before Bedtime (2nd Edition)

Born to Ride: A Story About Bicycle Face

by Larissa Theule, Kelsey GarrityRiley (Abrams Books) Reviewer: Diana Fisher Set in the year 1896 when girls were not allowed to wear pants or ride bicycles, Louisa Belinda decides she can do anything she sets her mind to. She dons pants and tries to ride her brother’s bicycle (with his help), despite scary warnings about developing “bicycle face,” and after some difficulty, joyously succeeds.

In addition to the delightfully written story and whimsical illustrations, a brief history of the 1890s bicycle craze and women’s suffrage movement are included. (Ages 4-8)

Tyler the Fish Visits the Lorain Lighthouse

by Meaghan Fisher, Tim Rowe (Gypsy Publications) Reviewer: Darleen Wohlfeil Our favorite little bass from Lake Erie is back to share with us another great adventure! Tyler and his friends are going on a field trip to the Lorain Lighthouse. They will learn many new and interesting facts about the wonderful things they share with the sea. Tyler also learns that knowing the history around us makes us appreciate our connection to it all the more. (Ages 4-9)

by Mark Kimball Moulton, Josh Chalmers, Karen Hillard Good (Schiffer) Reviewer: Larissa Juliano The cover of this beautiful book engages you before you even start reading. Rhyming text, delightful and unique illustrations, speech bubbles, and cute animal characters—little ones will love reading about kind and caring deeds we can do every day. As a mom and teacher, I simply love the wonderful and heartfelt message this book delivers to our most precious readers. The illustrations are adorable with pen and paper cut outs and other interesting media. Bonus: Special pages in the back of the book to write your own good deeds or acts of kindness and additional examples of helping out from the writing and drawing team. (Ages 5-8)

The Real Boat

by Marina Aromshtam, Victoria Semykina (Templar) Reviewer: Darleen Wohlfeil A little paper boat floats happily in the safe confines of a little pond, unaware of the wild journey that lies ahead of him. Much like life, we all stir from our peaceful surroundings eager to find what lies ahead. Many experiences lead us along our way, some hard, some dangerous, and some strong and defining. Little boat discovers there are many different boats beyond his small bond, and comes to find his own personal identity. (Ages 5-8)

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BOOK REVIEWS

Do You Believe in Unicorns?

by Bethany Deeney Murguia (Candlewick) Reviewer: Larissa Juliano Unicorn books are exploding in the children’s literature market the past few years and Bethanie Deeney Murguia does not disappoint with her adorable story about a horse in a high red hat that could or could not be a unicorn! The whole book lends itself to really beautiful and lightly watercolored backdrops (a great conversation-starter about settings with students as it continually changes). The horse does not take off her red hat and joyfully gallops on each scenic page as readers continue to question (through question/answer text) if it is a unicorn! When the last few pages are revealed, readers will delight and wonder if they really do believe in unicorns. With Murguia’s lovely illustrations and sweet, kid-friendly prose, do not be surprised if other magical creatures show up under her pen and paintbrush in future books! (Ages 3-7)

A Little Chicken

by Tammi Sauer, Dan Taylor (Sterling Children’s Books) Reviewer: Darleen Wohlfeil So cute! This really is a keeper.

You know, one of those childhood stories that stays with you forever. I mean this is the little chicken who could! Any child, and even some scaredy-cat adults, will find encouragement and chuckles as this little chicken faces her fears and rises to the moment to save the day. Did I say this is cute? Well, let me say it again! This book is so cute! (Ages 4+)

Loving Hands

by Tony Johnston, Amy June Bates (Candlewick) Reviewer: Julianne Black A beautiful mother-son relationship told through a focus on touch. The hands that bathed the child as a baby to the hands that hugged goodbye as an adult, serve as a gentle reminder that we all grow up and time never stands still. Delicate illustrations by Amy June Bates emphasize each precious snapshot in time. This book would make an amazing graduation or wedding gift. (Ages 4-6)

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Julián is a Mermaid

by Jessica Love (Candlewick) Reviewer: Larissa Juliano This exquisite picture book by author and illustrator Jessica Love catches readers’ attention from the first page. The soft and graceful illustrations use so many colors and breathe movement into the characters, their clothing, hair and style. Julian is a little boy who spends lots of time with his abuela. As Julian and his abuela glide through the story, different “mermaids” come into Julian’s view and he imagines himself with fins and colors, and accessories.

Readers must see the illustrations for themselves in this heartwarming and thought-provoking story about breaking gender stereotypes, accepting others for who they are, and unconditional family love and support. An instant favorite.

(Ages 4-8)

When Sue Found Sue: Sue Hendrickson Discovers Her T. Rex

by Toni Buzzeo, Diana Sudyka (Abrams Books for Young Readers) Reviewer: Darleen Wohlfeil This exciting and true story is a great testimony to those early childhood interests and quirks that pay off in the end. What many may have thought an awkward stage for Sue actually became a stage for fame. In 1990, Sue Hendrickson discovered the largest, and most intact dinosaur find. As a shy child, Sue tended to keep her head down, which often led her to great finds and discoveries. If it was lost, Sue was sure to find it. This coupled with her love and wide interest in reading led her to accomplish what others never imagined.

This is truly an inspirational story! (Ages 4-8)

The Neighbors

by Einat Tsarfati, Annette Appel (Harry N. Abrams) Reviewer: Joseph Murkette Einat Tsarfati tells us the tale of a little girl’s epic journey from the front door to the seventh floor of her apartment building. On each floor and behind every door lies a quirky new world of fun and fantasy. All of these tales are told, not just in words, but in illustrations that reveal a new story every time the book is read. No one will ever read this book just once. There is so much wit, wonder, wisdom, and joy hiding in the gorgeous, complex illustrations that each reading reveals something we’ve missed previously to make us smile anew. (Ages 4-8)

BOOK REVIEWS

President of Poplar Lane

by Margaret Mincks (Viking Books) Reviewer: Olivia Amiri, age 12 President of Poplar Lane is a smart book with lots of lessons dealing with middle school kids. The presidential election for 7th grade is coming up and Mike Strange and Clover O’Reilly are competing. This is a book not only about competition, but about lessons in ethics, honesty, and politics, much like in our world today. Sometimes winning by all costs doesn’t pay off. Read the book and find out who wins the election! (Ages 8-12)

Oscar Goes to School

by Meaghan Fisher, Emma Rose Fisher-Rowe (Gypsy Publications) Reviewer: Darleen Wohlfeil This cute story of a very smart and curious kitty who wants to go to school is the product of 7-year-old Emma Rose. Capturing on paper the details of a dream she had of her much loved orange tabby cat, Emma wanted to make it into a book for others to enjoy.

Her desire moves beyond entertaining us with her kitty’s silly antics—a sweet story that proves no matter how old you are, you can be an author! (Ages 8-12)

Ruff vs Fluff (A Queenie and Arthur Novel)

by Spencer Quinn (Scholastic Press) Reviewer: Diana Perry Queenie the cat and Arthur the dog appear to have a lot in common. Both pets live in the charming Blackberry Hill Inn. They both love their humans, twins Harmony and Bro. They both have a fondness for sausage. But that doesn’t change the fact that they are mortal enemies. But when the twins’ beloved cousin is framed for murder, Queenie and Arthur must work together to clear his name … something Queenie finds even more distasteful than inexpensive caviar. This is the perfect early reader. Kids will love following the clues to solve the mystery.

(Ages 8-12)

Game of Stars

by Sayantani DasGupta (Scholastic Press) Reviewer: Diana Perry When the Demon Queen shows up in her bedroom, smelling of acid and surrounded by evil-looking bees, 12-year-old Kiranmala is uninterested. After all, it’s been weeks since she last heard from her friends in the Kingdom Beyond, the alternate dimension where she was born as an Indian princess. But after a call to action over an interdimensional television station and a visit with some all-seeing birds, Kiran decides that she has to once again return to her homeland, where society is fraying, a terrible game show reigns supreme, and friends and foes alike are in danger. Kiran must once again solve riddles and battle her evil Serpent King father—all while discovering what it really means to be a hero. This is an engaging, action-adventure with riddles that young readers will have so much fun trying to solve. The ultimate bedtime story. (Ages 8-12)

Secondhand Wishes

by Anna Staniszewski (Scholastic Press) Reviewer: Diana Perry Lexi has to keep the universe in balance. If she does enough good things, like being on time, then the bad things, like her little brother needing more surgery, won’t happen. It doesn’t always work, but she has to keep trying. Just in case. On an extra bad day, Lexi finds a bag of four wishing stones in the antique shop in town, and wishes that her BFF Cassa and the new girl would stop talking to each other. That night, Cassa calls Lexi, crying over the end of her friendship with Marina. The wishes work ... sort of. Young readers will thrill over the many mysteries to solve in this book; they unravel one at a time like the petals opening on a rose. This story is a good moral lesson as Lexi learns how to find her true self. (Ages 8-12)

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BOOK REVIEWS

Beverlee Beaz the Brown Burmese

by Regan W.H. Macaulay (Mirror World Publishing) Reviewer: Darleen Wohlfeil This book bursts with energy from its opening page. Beverlee Beaz tackles her day with creative excitement, giving her great opportunities for fascinating adventures. Imagination opens the mind to great creative skills, as the author and illustrator have surely proven. The watercolor illustrations heighten the experience with great brightness and detail. (Ages 4-8)

Miss Mink: Life Lessons for a Cat Countess

by Janet Hill (Tundra Books) Reviewer: Diana Perry Miss Marcella Mink is a Cat Countess. She lives in a big house by the sea with 67 of her favorite felines. She longs to go on a cruise but learns that cats simply aren’t allowed on the ship. She solves this problem by starting her own cruise line; one that allows cats. Things don’t turn out the way she plans and she is soon unhappy with the results. So she turns to her cats for advice. This book contains the 20 Life Lessons from cats that will surely benefit us all! This is a wonderful way for early readers to practice their skills. Kids will love the eye-candy illustrations. I believe it will quickly become their very favorite book. (Ages 4-8)

When You Are Brave

by Pat Zietlow Miller, Eliza Wheeler (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) Reviewer: Darleen Wohlfeil This author and illustrator team are no strangers to success, and prove it once again in this encouraging story. Adults stress, plan, and make busy arrangements in the wake of change and uncertainty, but children most often have nothing to do but imagine what is ahead for them. We as parents can lose sight of the emotional toll such changes take on our little ones.

This book can be a great comfort to children in such times.

The tone is soft and soothing, yet carries a powerful impact.

(Ages 5-7)

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Story Monsters Ink | May 2019 | StoryMonsters.com

Steve Goes to Carnival

by Joshua Button, Robyn Wells (Candlewick) Reviewer: Julianne Black In Rio, a zookeeper and a gorilla share a love for jazz, leading to the gorilla’s escape through the city during Carnival. This is a great book for any grade doing a unit on Rio, as each page captures the sights and sounds of Carnival as if one were a local. The illustrations are beautifully textured and vibrant and do a great job mimicking sound, movement, and smell.

Excellent read! (Ages 5-8)

Fortune Cookie Surprise!

by Jacqueline Prata (Rosebud Publishing) Reviewer: Darleen Wohlfeil Life lessons await quietly all around us, and little Emily finds hers in her favorite restaurant. As she eagerly awaits the grand finish to her Chinese meal, Emily begins to realize people are much like that anxiously awaited cookie: Each one special, and holding a personal revelation to the one that takes it. She also realizes that she too is that special finishing touch to her parents, making it a complete and delightful experience. (Ages 5-8)

Soar High, Dragonfly!

by Sheri M. Bestor, Jonny Lambert (Sleeping Bear Press) Reviewer: Dr. Dawn Menge Dragonflies are some the world’s most beautiful insects. And one many children can find right in their backyards! With a simple story, perfect for read-alouds, this scientific look at a dragonfly’s life-cycle will captivate little entomologists. Informative sidebars are included that let children learn even more about these amazing insects.

This beautifully illustrated book is a must-read for the curious child who sees a dragonfly in a pond and begins to wonder….

(Ages 5-8)

BOOK REVIEWS

Badger’s Perfect Garden

by Marsha Diane Arnold, Ramona Kaulitzki (Sleeping Bear Press) Reviewer: Dr. Dawn Menge Badger is a very smart lad and highly prepared for planting season.

He gathered all of his seeds from last summer and stored them in jars. Come spring, he is ready to plant them all. Badger, Weasel, and Squirrel soon plot their garden and everyone helps to weed and rake. But the weather turns bad and their seeds are soon washed away … or are they? This is a fun book based on not giving up and accepting that things can be bright even when they don’t turn out the way we want them to. (Ages 5-8)

It’s a Girl Thing! Smart, Fierce, and Leading the Way

by Pri Ferrari (StarBerry Books/ Kane Press) Reviewer: Darleen Wohlfeil In a time when identity lines are blurring with confusion, it may be wise to clear up some of the definitions cluttering up those lines. Pigeonholing talents, interests, and abilities has brought great divisions and harm throughout history. Ideas of masculine and feminine rolls have cramped, criticized, and broken hearts and spirits. Maybe it’s not the genders that are confused, but the order in which each individual is permitted to meet, embrace, and identify with them. This timely book makes a healthy and subtle point, it’s NOT a gender thing. It’s a great opportunity for all who desire an equal chance! (Ages 5-9)

Moonlight and Molly series

by Maureen Harris (Hobo Publishing) Reviewer: Diana Perry This is a delightful early reader series that would make a great gift and is perfect for bedtime stories.

There are four books in the series about a young girl named Molly, her magical horse Moonlight, and their wonderful adventures. The stories inspire imagination in children and adults and are perfect tools to help kids practice their reading skills. The series includes Moonlight and Molly, Secret Revealed, Santa’s Visit, and Shamrock’s Magic Returns. (Ages 5-11)

More Curious Jane: Science + Design + Engineering for Inquisitive Girls

by Curious Jane (Sterling Children’s Books) Reviewer: Diana Perry This book is full of science projects from beginning to end. What a great book for the classroom as kids can do these experiments over and over.

I really appreciated how the illustrations easily demonstrate each experiment step-by-step and that almost all items needed were those that kids most likely can find in their own home. This book is fun to read, educational, and provides kids with the perfect way to make gifts! What parent/ grandparent/teacher doesn’t love a gift made just for them by a loving child? My grandson pointed out one very important thing—this book is not just for curious Janes; it’s for curious Johns, too! (Ages 6-11)

Even Weirder! (WeirDo #2)

by Anh Do (Scholastic) Reviewer: Diana Perry Weir’s back and even weirder! But it’s not just Weir who’s weird, it’s his whole family. Not even their pet bird is normal! How will he keep cool with a school trip to the zoo coming up and the birthday party of his biggest crush?! It won’t be easy ... but it will be funny! Young readers will laugh out loud while reading this book. Most of all, they will continue to bond with Weir. His life is filled with constant embarrassments, but kids will see how things can turn out well anyway. I look forward to the next book in this entertaining series. (Ages 7-10)

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BOOK REVIEWS

Tin

by Pádraig Kenny (Chicken House) Reviewer: Joseph Murkette Tin is what might have happened if Jules Verne and Charles Dickens had collaborated to create a new world where humans and robots lived together in both harmony and conflict. Seen through the innocent eyes of a child, you soon learn that Christopher, the main character, is not who he seems to be. He is not just a “who,” he is also a “what.” Both child and robot. Follow him through his many trials and tribulations as he seeks what every child wants: to know and love those who created him.

Tin isn’t just a tale told to entertain; it teaches the true value of the love, hope, and happiness that being part of a family—human and otherwise—can provide. (Ages 8-12)

The President and Me: John Adams and the Magic Bobblehead

by Deborah Kalb, Robert Lunsford (Schiffer) Reviewer: Diana Perry Fifth-grader Ava is struggling to figure out where she belongs in her newly-blended family. Her mom got remarried and she now has a stepfather and new brother.

They decide to take a family trip to Boston where she buys a bobblehead of president John Quincy Adams. This was no ordinary bobblehead as it magically transports her and her brother, J.P. back in time to the 18th and 19th centuries where they meet John and Abigail Adams. They encounter history in the making, get close to actual battles, and learn much about how America became the great country it is. This book teaches history in a fun-to-read format through an exciting story. (Ages 8-12)

Because of the Rabbit

by Cynthia Lord (Scholastic) Reviewer: Olivia Amiri Because of the Rabbit is a charming, sensitive story with lots of rabbit facts. Emma has been homeschooled, but she’s set to start 5th grade at public school. Emma is longing for a best friend but making friends and fitting in isn’t always easy. Lucky for her, she rescued a rabbit with her Game Warden dad and convinced him to let her keep it. It’s a wonderful story of discovery, family, and friendship. (Ages 8-12)

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Story Monsters Ink | May 2019 | StoryMonsters.com

Bad Order

by B.B. Ullman (Sterling Children’s Books) Reviewer: Diana Perry A Wrinkle in Time meets Stranger Things in an out-of-this-world fastpaced middle grade story about a sister and her special little brother fighting to save the world from an interdimensional catastrophe.

Young readers will enjoy one surprise after another all the way to the ending as several threads of this story weave brilliantly together. They encounter many dangers and learn that a serious event has happened and the entire world will end unless Albie can save it. I found this book a non-stop action adventure with more twists and turns than I could keep up with. (Ages 8-12)

The Ice Garden

by Guy Jones (Chicken House) Reviewer: Diana Perry Allergic to the sun, Jess sets out to explore the world she longs to be a part of by night. One night, tired of peeking at the other children beyond her curtained house, she sneaks out to explore the empty playground she’s longed to visit.

Beyond, she discovers a garden made entirely of ice. This is her place: a Narnia with flying elephant mice and ice apples with shining gold liquid inside. But Jess soon discovers that she’s not alone. And her presence there could be destroying its very existence. Young readers will find danger, courage, and perseverance in this heartwarming story of overcoming pitfalls of life. (Ages 8-12)

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Modern Retelling of Little Women

by Rey Terciero, Bre Indigo (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) Reviewer: Olivia Amiri Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy is an emotional, graphic novel reenvisioned from the original book Little Women written in 1869. It’s about four very different sisters living in this blended family, dealing with health issues, a parent overseas in military, LGBTQ, and all sorts of trials and tribulations of the heart.

Great book to read with a friend or family member and then talk about. (Ages 9-12)

BOOK REVIEWS

The King of Sting

by Coyote Peterson (Brave Wilderness) Reviewer: Diana Perry In this exciting and educational book, Coyote Peterson shows and tells all about creatures that sting—insects like Bullet Ants and the Tarantula Hawk. He goes into details about their body parts and exoskeleton and explains the importance of conservation of these species. He teaches how these insects and arachnids benefit the planet. Coyote also discusses his travels to remote regions all around the world. With the vivid photos, boys and girls alike will feel as if they, too, are on these adventures right along with him and his Coyote Pack. (Ages 9-12)

Sandalrella: Perceptions of a Teenage Famepire

by John Delery, Melissa A. Vitale, Larissa Clause, Christine Patriarca, Kaitlyn Texel Reviewer: Darleen Wohlfeil If you ever sit wondering what’s going on in the mind of your teenage daughter, here’s a book for you. Hang on, it’s quite a ride. The pace is quick, the dialogue creative, and the points well made.

High school can be tough, and girls can be tougher. Though the tone is witty and sharp, some really good thoughts and feelings are conveyed. Truly a voice to be heard. (Ages 13+)

To submit your book for review, email Cristy Bertini at cristy@storymonsters.com for submission guidelines.

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