STORY OF THE TITANIC by DK. Illustrated by Steve Noon If you are in Ohio (or near Ohio), you may have heard about the wonderful exhibit at COSI in Columbus featuring the Titanic. In preparation for our upcoming visit, we have been reading some fabulous books about this amazing yet tragic event in history. Over the next couple of weeks, I will share some of our reads. Today's pick is a great picture book by DK. What makes this book such a good one is all the cutaways into the Titanic that are given and the search and find element.  DK pulls back the curtain a bit, and lets kids view passengers and rooms in all three classes of the Titanic. There are certain people from all three plus staff that you somewhat keep tabs on through the journey. In the end, you do find out if they survived the tragedy or not. DK also adds a bit of a "Where's Waldo" type vibe. Included on the top and bottom of each page are pictures of people, places, or events that are happening within the main picture to find. If you have children like mine, this element helps to engage them even more to take in the illustrations on a deeper level as they search. I will include a picture in the comments for you to see. This is one of those books that my daughter kept asking for more of as I broke it up into chunks between some other books. HEADS UP- One tiny heads up! As you are looking into the cutaways of the rooms, you will notice bathrooms. There are a couple of small pictures of people in showers with their buns exposed. They are small, but since you are searching the pictures you most likely will come upon them. We found it a little strange but humourous.

BACK ROADS, COUNTRY TOADS by Devin Scillian. Illustrated by Tim Bowers Okay everyone, it's fishing season, and if you've got a kiddo that likes fishing or toads, I've got a book for you!! When these two toads, Hank and Buckaroo, hear the words "fly-fishing" they know they don't want to miss out! Thank goodness a friendly raccoon helps them navigate the world of "flies" so they don't get hooked themselves! Hmmm, maybe fly-fishing wasn't what they originally thought it would be, but not to be outdone, they figure out a way to get a bit of fly-fishing done...toad style! This book has loads of fun humor to enjoy with these two country toads! I have to take a moment to showcase an Ohio illustrator, Mr. Tim Bowers! His fun portrayal of Hank and Buckaroo help this cute tale come to life. Somewhat reminiscent of the illustrations in the Little Quack series or Bear Wants series, these pictures are quirky and delightful, guaranteed to make kids (and adults) smile.

HEROES by Alan Gratz Just in time for Memorial Day, Alan Gratz's newest book, Heroes, focuses on the attack at Pearl Harbor. Frank and Stanley are best friends whose fathers are both stationed at Pearl Harbor. On December 7 the boys are on the USS Utah enjoying a tour when the unthinkable happens. What they assume at first to be drills and maneuverability practices quickly turns out to be the Japanese attacking the mighty lineup of ships in Battleship Row. They are quickly thrust into the midst of chaos and panic which forces both of them to deal with a battle themselves. Frank deals with intense fear due to an incident in his past where he was bitten by a dog. Stanley is Japanese American, and even though his father is in the US military, he is looked at as part of the enemy. Both will be tested heavily in the days that follow, but through the testing they will both have the opportunity to emerge as HEROES. HEADS UP- There are a couple of profanities.

REZ BALL by Byron Graves The foundational story of Rez Ball is amazing and very moving. Unfortunately, there are a lot of potholes to navigate, so you will want to check out the HEADS UP section. Tre Brun's life is basketball. Living on the Ojibwe Reservation, he knows it is his only ticket out of the lifestyle that so many of his loved ones live. But basketball also haunts him, because he lives under the constant shadow of the memory of his brother, Jaxon. Jaxon was killed in a car accident leaving a gaping hole on the basketball team and in the Rez community. An unstoppable player, Jaxon was on track to leading the Red Lake Indian Reservation team maybe all the way to state. Now a void exists, and the varsity team needs someone strong to help them heal and go the distance. Tre is the next player in line with the most skills, but can he do this when all he sees, all the teams sees, and all the Rez sees is Jaxon? HEADS UP- I think the easiest way to do this is to just bullet point the concerns. -LANGUAGE - This book is HEAVY on language including multiple F-bombs on most pages. I should have added up how many F-words were used, but it is staggering. -DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE are prevalent. I think author Byron Graves probably provides up with a pretty realistic picture of the usage on the reservation. There are lots of parties. Tre participates in some, but he doesn't like the effect they are having on him and how they affect his game. He sits down with the team and gets them all to agree not to party until after the season is over which is unheard-of. -SEXUAL REFERENCES- The girl that Tre falls for is "two-spirited." She is bisexual. The book doesn't spend a lot of time focusing on that issue. At one point he entertains the idea of a sexual encounter with her, but she ends up falling for his best friend which causes some issues. She tells Tre that they are "Friendable" a term she's made up that is like "f***able" but just the friend version.

SPRING READS Needing some fun spring/animal reads? We got you covered! (As I was pulling these books off the shelves my kids were grabbing them up!)

DOGKU by Andrew Clements. Illustrated by Tim Bowers. Dogku is the delightful story about a dog and his search for a home. Fall in love with this sweet, little dog as he discovers a delightful place he would like to stay!  I hoped you noticed the "ku" part in the book title, because, yes, it is all written in traditional Haiku style, and no, it doesn't take away from the story at all! In fact, it adds to it, because your ear attunes to the rhythm of the 5-7-5 syllable pattern. Once you're done reading the delightful story, try writing Haikus. While they are traditionally about nature and the seasons, it is perfectly fine to branch out. Maybe one of your kiddos will compose one in honor of their dislike of Haikus such as- I detest Haikus. Hopefully I am done quick! They make zero sense. Right? I would be remiss if I didn't mention the fantastic artwork in this cute story! Illustrator Tim Bowers is an Ohio resident. Actually, he's from not very far away Granville for you local friends! His artwork is as fun as the dog is in this story. The antics, the messes, the views, the sweet doggy looks are all so relatable and are all done in oils on canvas.

THE DEAD SEA SQUIRRELS: SQUIRRELKNAPPED by Mike Nawrocki I recently read another installment in The Dead Sea Squirrels series. These books really do a wonderful job of wrapping a fun story around a core value, in this case honesty. Squirrelnapped goes further than just your typical "tell the truth" message. It deals directly with purposefully withholding information so that someone believes something that's not true. This little book is a great door opener to good discussions with your kids! Telling the truth is very important, and in this case, one of the squirrel's freedom depends on it!

BY THE GREAT HORN SPOON! by Sid Fleischman This is one of those "oldies but goodies" that has been around a while that is so worth your time if you have a kiddo that has a streak of adventure right through the middle of them! By the Great Horn Spoon is historical fiction. It's the fun story of two unlikely partners taking off searching for gold during the days of the gold rush. How unlikely are these partners? One is a proper butler named Praiseworthy; the other is his young, twelve-year-old master, Jack. Their mission is an honorable one. Jack's Aunt Arabella is about to lose her home, so the pair set off searching for valuable paydirt. Leaving proper Boston to travel to California, the pair choose to go by boat instead of across the country. The long voyage is fraught with danger, thieves, unexpected work and adventures, but they do eventually reach the goldfields. It is here that their adventures quadruple, but that's something you'll have to discover for yourself! On top of all the adventure, Praiseworthy is an honorable mentor for his young master. His upbeat attitude, ability to face challenges, and commitment to keeping an honest name is refreshing. ALONGSIDE ACTIVITIES - This book has so many wonderful possibilities! First off, Callie and I mapped the different locations as they traveled: Boston, Rio de Janiero, Strait of Magellan, Andes Mountains, Golden Gate, and more. We looked up pictures of the different tools used in the mining process. We branched out into discussions about supply and demand and how it affects prices.

THE QUEEN OF EBENEZER by K. B. Hoyle I have to admit something. When I FIRST opened this book and BEGAN reading it, I didn't love it. I couldn't wrap my head around all the confusing elements to the story. It seemed the deeper I went, the more confusing it got, and I found myself asking what the point was. Why are Tom and Beatrice the only two characters? Why is he confined to a swamp, but she isn't? What's the deal with the spattering of talking animals? Why is Tom the "king" ? My list grew and grew and grew. Just when I was about to close the book and be done, a ray of light pierced through the confusion. K B. Hoyle throws us a lifeline in the midst of the confusion, because that confusion is intentional. I can't say much so that I don't spoil the story, but just know there's something bigger happening outside the borders of the Swamp of Ebenezer, and when the time is right, when you're holding onto the story by your fingernails, all will be revealed, and it is worth it. HEADS UP- SPOILER ALERT I 'm going to keep this as spoil free as possible, but you do need to be aware that a part of this story has to do with class separation and an interracial relationship. Because of this there are a couple of scenes of parental defiance along the way.

REAL POEMS FOR REAL MOMS by Rachel S. Donahue Real Poems for Real Moms: From a Mother in the Trenches to Another by Rachel S. Donahue is PURE GOLD, and that is why it's one of my TOP PICKS! Dear momma, if you are currently in the trenches of young children motherhood or if you have flashbacks of "been there done that" and can laugh at the memories, then this book is for you! There are so many poems that are just the truth of life for a momma in this delightful book, but the Diaper Haikus sprinkled throughout are worth the purchase of this book alone! This would be a perfect gift for the mommas in your life! And be assured - this one is going to be an upcoming book club pick!! I have so many memories of younger days and "events" that happened that these poems reminded me of, and I can't wait to hear your memories or current life as well!

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW by William Shakespeare Shakespeare- First of all, dear ones, welcome to this fantastic journey into the past! Most of us enter the Shakespearean World trembling a bit, but have heart, we're going to see each other through and hopefully enjoy the journey in the process! This intro is to help us gain some tools to help make the trek a bit easier. First of all, if you have the Folger edition of The Taming of the Shrew, you will notice that the original text is always on the right hand pages. The left side is reserved for definitions and helps on understanding phrases within the passages. Second, read the week's reading and if you would like, get on a site such as Spark Notes and read the summary to help you connect the dots. This is not cheating! This is using your resources! Now, let's talk about Shakespeare and his writing! It is accepted that Shakespeare was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon, England. We don't know the exact date, but he was baptized on April 26, 1564. There is no official record of his education. We have a guess where he attended school, but it is unknown how long he attended. Because we know so little about Shakespeare, there are theories that he actually did not write the plays. Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe, and others are considered possibilities of penning the great works. (I tend to think he existed.) Not all of his work, but a large part of it is written in iambic pentameter. This is the rhythm of the poetry that is made up of a repetition of a weak beat followed by a strong beat repeated five times in succession. In other words- da-Dum da-Dum da-Dum da-Dum da-Dum Now apply it to a line- Shall I compare thee to a Summer's day A couple other things to bear in mind are:  Capitalization - if you see a word capitalized that normally wouldn't be it is because Shakespeare is adding emphasis to the word. Punctuation- do not pause at the end of a line that has no punctuation. Continue it until you come to a period or comma to understand the complete thought. There is more I could give you, but this is a good start! Most of what I shared comes from a curriculum called Why Shakespeare? Indeed! By Amanda Murray. For more pointers/in-depth study I do recommend this great 80 page resource!

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW by William Shakespeare Why does Taming of the Shrew (TOTS) have an Induction? What is the purpose of it? I did a bit of reading on this and here are some of the main thoughts: 1. Shakespeare introduces some of the class distinctions of the day. Can you imagine the following in today's world? A drunk man passes out in your favorite restaurant. As you watch him lying there a wealthy man and his friends pull up in their Lambos. They notice the passed out man and decide to play a trick on him. They're staying at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas in the Empathy Suite ($100,000 a night), and they think it would be a hoot to take this man, set him up there, and when he wakes up rejoice over his awakening from a coma they thought he would never recover from. (I know he would technically be in the hospital in today's world, but stay with me!) They convince him of his wealth, his lifestyle, his beautiful wife, his money, etc, etc. What happens to that man after he lives that way for awhile, and then finds out he's actually a drunk street bum that they used? Shakespeare shows us class roles and the power they can wield over others. 2. Shakespeare also introduces us to the idea of switching roles. Sly has been switched to an upper class lord and we're going to see some other characters switch roles within this play. 3. Shakespeare shows us that TOTS is actually a play within a play. The Induction is the "real" situation and what happens between Katherine, Bianca, Lucentio, Hortensio, Petruchio, and all the others is a play being performed for the supposed wealthy Sly and his wife. It's not real. Even though this play is a comedy, I feel as if an element of cruelty has been introduced. We'll see where it goes! Next week Act 1, Scene 1.