Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Monday, August 12, 2019

An Inside Look #99 (Author INTERVIEW)

An Inside Look with Tina Athaide
(Author of Orange for the Sunsets)

*During the summer of 2016, I added this feature to the blog which was called "Season #ONE".  This first season ran from June of 2016 to March of 2017.  

*I started up the interviews again in June of 2017.  It was great to get back to Season #TWO.  This season ran throughout the summer.  

*Season #THREE ran during the school year of 2017-2018.  

*The next season (season #FOUR) of interviews took place during the summer and fall of 2018.  With each interview I became more and more impressed with the authors I was having interactions with.  

*Season #FIVE ran during the 2018/2019 school year.  I took a little break during June of 2019.

*I'm thrilled to be back with season #SIX featuring all new books, authors, and conversations.  


*It has been such an honor to connect with authors and "chat" about their novel, characters, and thoughts about the story.

*This is the EIGHTH interview of what I'm calling Season #SIX.

*Thank you to Tina Athaide for being the Ninety-Ninth author that I've had the pleasure of interviewing.  I truly appreciate it.  


*Here are links to the first Ninety-Eight interviews…


SEASON #ONE (2016-2017)

























SEASON #FOUR (Summer 2018)






















SEASON #FIVE (2018/2019)










Interview #81 with Tony Abbott (Author of The Great Jeff)

Interview #82 with Susan Ross (Author of Searching for Lottie)

Interview #83 with Gillian McDunn (Author of Caterpillar Summer)

Interview #84 with Rebecca Ansari (Author of The Missing Piece of Charlie O'Reilly)

Interview #85 with Ali Standish (Author of August Isle)

Interview #86 with Shaun David Hutchinson (Author of The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried)

Interview #87 with Greg Howard (Author of The Whispers)

Interview #88 with Lynda Mullaly Hunt (Author of Shouting at the Rain)

Interview #89 with Lynda Mullaly Hunt (Author of One for the Murphys)

Interview #90 with Laurie Morrison (Author of Up for Air)

Interview #91 with Jody J. Little (Author of Mostly the Honest Truth)



SEASON #SIX (Summer 2019)

Interview #92 with John David Anderson (Author of Finding Orion)

Interview #93 with Lisa Thompson (Author of The Light Jar)

Interview #94 with Keith Calabrese (Author of A Drop of Hope)

Interview #95 with Alicia D. Williams (Author of Genesis Begins Again)

Interview #96 with Kim Ventrella (Author of Bone Hollow)

Interview #97 with Natalie Lloyd (Author of Over the Moon)

Interview #98 with Cynthia Lord (Author of Because of the Rabbit)



*Tina Athaide was kind, gracious, and giving with her answers to the questions.  It is an honor to post her responses here on the blog. 

*Thank you Tina for writing this incredible and thought-provoking book.

*Here is my book review...

Orange for the Sunsets Book Review



Orange for the Sunsets

by Tina Athaide (April 2, 2019)
How did you come to know Asha and Yesofu?

 I have lived with Asha and Yesofu in my head and heart for many years now. I feel like I know Asha very well since she is a mix of myself and other family members and friends, but as the story developed, she became her own person. Yesofu started as a quiet secondary character when I originally developed the story. When I decided to write the book from alternating points of view, he grew into his own person. Over several versions of the story, Asha and Yesofu emerged with strong independent personalities and often surprised me.
What do you think is Asha and Yesofu’s most admirable qualities?

Asha and Yesofu both value friendship, family, and loyalty.  It is what drives their actions throughout the book, even if at times it steers them in the wrong direction, but that is what makes the story interesting.
Is there anything you wish they would have changed or done differently in their story?

 If there were one thing I wish Asha could have changed it would have been stepping outside of her privileged world to take time to understand what life in Entebbe was like for Yesofu and his family. It would have helped her to understand why her best friend saw President Amin’s actions as an opportunity.
What do you think these two children can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what they went through?  

 At the core of this story is a friendship between two children. Asha and Yesfou offer different points of views, which show readers that there are always two sides to a situation and it is important to pause and empathize with the other person.
How did you research the characters and the circumstances they found themselves in?

 My research took me to different continents, where I spoke to people, either in person or through email that had connections to the expulsion of Asian Indians from Uganda. This really helped me to understand the Ugandan perspective, so I could give Yesofu an authentic voice. Additionally, newspapers covered this political event and I read articles from all over the world. It was very interesting to see how the situation was viewed in different countries.
Do you and the two children share any similarities?  

 It is always hard to lift the veil and reveal the secrets underneath, but if I were to give you one similarity, it would be that Asha and I are both persistent. With Yesofu, I would say that he and I share our loyalty to friends.
What was the hardest scene to write about them?

 Honestly, there was so much about this book that was difficult to write, since I have an emotional connection to that historical event, but that final farewell used up a tissue box and went through several revisions. Hope was the lifeline.
Who do you think were their biggest supporters and why?

 Asha and Yesofu supported one another, until they couldn’t.
Why do you think culture/heritage/religion have to play such a major part in young people’s relationships/friendships?

 Who we are…where we come from…our beliefs make up our identity. The friendships that children make are important given that this is some of the first opportunities in which they will begin to develop understandings of social and ethnic as well as individual differences. My hope is that readers will see the importance of respecting the differences and similarities in their friendships.
What do you think Asha and Yesofu are doing as the present time? 


If we jump forward in time to present day, I would love if Asha and Yesofu reconnected through social media. I imagine they would have a lot to tell one another!               
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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (8/12/19)



Thanks to Jen and Kellee for hosting this idea on their site.  Here is a link to the site...
                
Books I Read this Past Week...



Sorry For Your Loss by Jessie Ann Foley

*Young-Adult Novel (4 STARS out of 5 Stars)

My Book Review

Hurrican Season by Nicole Melleby

 *Middle-Grade Novel (4 STARS out of 5 Stars)

 My Book Review






Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds

 *Middle-Grade Novel (3 STARS out of 5 Stars)

My Book Review




Books I Will (continue to) Read this Week…


Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan

*My Novel Published for Adults









The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth

*My Novel Published for Adults  









Beverly, Right Here by Kate DiCamillo

*My Middle-Grade Novel 
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Sunday, August 11, 2019

Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds

How I Heard About It:  This ARC, due out in October, came to me via my #bookexpedition Twitter group.  I have been seeing and hearing a lot about Jason's upcoming novel.  Sunday afternoons are a great time to find a comfy reading spot and dig into a novel.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *This novel is a departure from Reynolds' earlier works because it is a collection of ten short stories.

 2.  *Each chapter tells the story of a variety of middle-school students.  


3.  *The majority of the story takes place after school as the different characters are leaving school and heading home.  

 4.  *The reader gets to know each character as they venture home and "share" what is going on in their life; both at school and home.  

 5.  *There are a variety of life-issues presented in each chapter with sensitivity toward the ages of the potential readers of the book.  


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1.  *When I first heard that Jason Reynolds was coming out with a new novel, I was quite excited.  

 2.  *When I found out the book was a collection of short stories, I lost some of that excitement.  I'm not a huge fan of this format.  Just a personal preference on my part.  

 3.  *As I made my way through the book, there were some stories I was drawn to more than others.  

 4.  *I kept thinking that all of the characters would come together in a more solid way, but I didn't see any major connections.  

 5.  *The concept of all ten stories taking place on each of ten different city blocks was unique, fresh, and a step out of the ordinary.  


Who Should Read It:    In my opinion I could see readers in grades six and above enjoying this story the most.  That doesn't mean there won't be some fourth and fifth readers who would find satisfaction with the collection.  Of course adult readers who are fans of Jason Reynolds will definitely want to check out his newest work of fiction in October.  Happy Reading!  


Rating:   3 STARS out of 5 Stars!
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Friday, August 9, 2019

Hurricane Season by Nicole Melleby

How I Heard About It:  I recently received this middle-grade novel from the publisher.  Over the summer I've seen and read many positive reviews about the story.  When I put the novel in my hands I was struck by the beauty of the cover.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *For as long as she can remember, it has been Fig and her father.  Even though Fig is only a sixth grader, at times she cares for her father in bigger ways than he is able to.  

 2.  *Fig's father spends his adult life dealing with emotional "issues" that not only effect himself, but his daughter as well.

 3.  *Her father is a musician, but currently isn't able to "produce" any music that brings in money.  This situation is mainly due to his emotional state.  Fig begins to relate her father's story to that of Vincent Van Gogh life and struggles.

 4.  *After an episode at Fig's school and the threat of of "hurricane season", Fig becomes more and more worries about being separated from the only adult care-taker she has ever had.  

 5.  *Fig has to navigate rough "weather" with her family relationships, friend relationships, and the relationship she has with herself.  


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1.  *This was a beautifully written middle-grade story.  The words just seemed to float across the page, almost like "ART".  

 2.  *There was a lot of heart-break in Fig's story, but through it all I felt a sense of hope.

 3.  *As a reader, I normally encounter the female (mother) character dealing with emotional issues.  It was a refreshing change of pace to read about a father living with some pretty heavy stuff.

 4.  *I was drawn into the story because of the connections between weather, art, feelings, and how we deal with real-life problems.  

 5.  *When I first began, I thought it may be a story I shared with my fourth graders.  As I finished Fig's journey, I realized the novel may be better suited for an older reader.  
Who Should Read It:    I have mixed feelings about this.  For the most part I think this story could be shared with fifth and sixth graders.  The book would be perfect for middle-school readers.  I even think it could be read by the young-adult reader.  There are just some mature themes, sexuality, that are presented on multiple accounts, that I think a younger reader may have some questions about.  The story of Fig and her father is a beautiful one that definitely needs to be in the hands of young readers.  Happy Reading!  


Rating:   4 STARS out of 5 Stars!
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Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Sorry For Your Loss by Jessie Ann Foley

How I Heard About It:  While looking for a young-adult novel online I ran across this title.  After reading several reviews, I bought a copy and had it mailed to me.  I finished this story late last night.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *Pup is the youngest child of eight siblings.  He typically tries to fly under the radar and just "squeak" by.  

 2.  *His large family continues to deal with the loss of Patrick, one of the eight siblings.  They each are handling the loss in their own way.  


3.  *Pup is barely passing his high-school classes and has been given one final chance to "UP" his grade in an art class.  After taking a photo of one of his brothers passed out on the roof of their home, his life is about to take a turn.

 4.  *Slowly Pup begins to show an interest in photography and representing his life/situation through the images he captures on film.  

 5.  *Not only does Pup have to deal with family issues, he encounters a stumble or two with his peers at school.  


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1.  *Even though the novel is slated as young-adult, I felt it almost read as an adult novel.  It certainly could meet the needs of both audiences.  

 2.  *Pup was one special young man that unfortunately was dealt a poor hand and wasn't quite sure on how to play that hand.  

 3.  *Being from a family with only one sibling, I'm always fascinated when I read about large families and their interactions.  

 4.  *The story was definitely a character study, but there were a few plot "surprises" along the way.

 5.  *One, of many, strength in the book was the relationship between Pup and his older brother Luke. In some ways, Pup almost played the role of the older sibling.  


Who Should Read It:    As I mentioned, this is promoted as a young-adult novel, but I could see both adults and high-school readers enjoying the personal journey of Pup and his family.  Happy Reading!  


Rating:   4 STARS out of 5 Stars!
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Wonder Wednesday #277 (WONDER News)

Wonder Wednesday - A Week of GOOD News

*I've normally been posting videos this summer of what I'm reading.  Filming the vidoes has been a BLAST.

*Taking a little break from the videos to share some "good news" from from NERDY life.


*This past Sunday I had the pleasure of joining some NERDY friends for a wonderful evening of conversation, thought-provoking topics, and of course delicious food.

*My friend Donalyn Miller was in town for a week of workshops in which she was presenting at.  After picking her up at the airport, we joined Sandy and Pam for dinner at a local restaurant.

*The time flew by and we discussed such a vareity of topics including: books, educational issues, classroom libraries, current events, and maybe even a little bit of gossip.

*After spending time with these friends, I always leave feeling rejuvinated, energized, and ready to tackle all of the educational "concerns".



*The second bit of "WONDER" news I would like to share is the invitation I received.  

*I've been asked to be on an "Elementary Teacher Advisory Board" for a major publishing company in the heart of New York City.  

*This news came as a complete shock and a pleasant surprise.  

*I will be flying to New York on August 18th and spending two nights.  There will be a welcome dinner on Sunday night and the all-day meeting will be on the 19th.  

*In addition to the two events, I'm hoping to be a "tourist" for a bit of time.

*I'm so excited to learn more about this Advisory Board and be a part of the inaugural year.  

*As I learn more on Monday, August 19th and in the year to follow, I will share more here on the blog.  

*I LOVE weeks like this current one when there is so much BOOK/READING love surrrounding me.

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