SUMMER READING: What's in Your Beach Bag? This one's for the boys...

(read/sing to Summer Lovin' from GREASE)

Summer readin' had me a blast!

Summer readin' pages go FAST!

Made some friends BOOK crazy like me!

Created to read lists...no less than three!

Summer days driftin' away, but OH...

THOSE BOOKISH NIGHTS!

That's right!

It's that time of year again.

Time to put away the pencils and textbooks, in exchange for late movie nights, long days in the sun, and reading JUST FOR FUN!  Who's with me?  ^-^  But, wonder of wonders...how to decide just WHAT to read?

 No worries! I'm here to help along with a plethora of amazing author talent and publishing house know how to bringing to the spotlight a few titles that just might be your best friend for a few days, or few hours this season.  So grab your beach towel, some sunscreen, and pull up a chair, it's time to dive into a pool of bookish fun!  Today's category is...

BOOKS FOR BOYS!

Okay, so I don't like to classify books in this manner any more than you do, but let's face it, sometimes it can be tough to entice the little guys into the reading circle.  Statistics show that girls are more inclined to fall in love with books, while it can take a bit of coaxing for the fellas, hence this category.  While I'm not suggesting these titles can't or shouldn't be read by girls (hello...I AM one too!), I am suggesting that those with little gentlemen to entertain should take an especially close look because they definitely have dude appeal too.  Ready or not, here come today's selections primed and ready for your upcoming reads...

My Favorite Pets by Gus W. for Ms. Smolinski's Class

by

Jeanne Birdsmall

Illustrated by

Harry Bliss

9780385755702

Alfred A. Knopf

Gus is a young man that knows what he likes and what he likes is SHEEP.  Yes, sheep.  Within these pages, we get to know Gus as we explore the various aspects of his love for these woolly critters, and see the mayhem that follows his questionable choices all from his own point of view.  You see, the story is actually an assignment from his fifth grade teacher on, you guessed it, his favorite pet, or in this case pets in the plural sense, thus giving Gus an outlet to share his adventures with his family's sheep.  Along the way, we learn the proper term for babies, females, and males (of which the horns do NOT come off), we see that while they might be good for riding, it is perhaps best to avoid putting your younger brother on one, and that even if they DO want inside the house, there is a reason they are generally given their own space....outside.

With creative illustrations to illuminate the crafty tale of a boy and his sheep, this is one flock you won't be counting to catch some Z's.  

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The Magical Fantastical Fridge

by

Harlan Coben

Illustrated by

Leah Tinari

9780525428039

Dial Books for Young Readers

Walden is your typical young man.  He wants adventure, he wants excitement, he...doesn't want to set the table for yet another weekend family dinner.  What's a lad to do?  Well, THIS one is apparently going to escape into the mystical, magical, unusual world of...his fridge?  Yep, his fridge.

Sounds odd and yet it works.  Think about it.  Most people (especially those with children) have a rather unusual assortment of items on their fridge doors.  From magnets to reminders, photos to drawings, coupons to advertisements, it's a mish mosh of madness just waiting to happen...and happen it does.  One moment, Walden is standing in the kitchen pouting about doing the same old same old, the next he's being pulled into the cluster of papery wonders magnetized just behind his head.  He'll dive beneath the ocean, visit his grandparents once upon a time, battle a sword wielding space alien, and...perhaps make it back home in time to do what was actually requested of him.  Perhaps.  *smirk*

A grand time to be had that reminds us why family is so important, the power of imagination, and to be careful what you hang on that fridge door...for adventures sake.  

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Zap!:  Nikola Tesla Takes Charge

by

Monica Kulling

Illustrated by

Bill Slavin

9781770495227

Tundra Books

This is the forthcoming addition to the Great Ideas series and let me tell you know, they've yet to disappoint.

Here, we learn about the man behind electricity as we know it today.  I know what you're thinking, EDISON was the genius who discovered this form of power and yes, you are correct, BUT his was a direct current while Tesla's focused on alternating currents.  Now, I know that sounds over most of our heads but what it boils down to is that while the former was good, it was more costly and limited how far power could be sent as well as how long parts would last in the machines it motorized.  Tesla's version took away those limitations and eventually brought us the access we take for granted today...but the road to get there was anything but smooth.  I mean, think about it.  If something isn't broken, why fix it?  If an idea is in motion, why change its course?  BECAUSE, my friends, that is the genius of creativity and those ideas along with a few like minds to bring it to fruition are what keep our world the ever changing, ever improving, ever striving place we live today.

So, for some great edutainment complete with wonderful illustrations that really bring the whole package together, I highly recommend not only this release from the talented Monica Kulling, but the Great Ideas series in full. 

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Special thanks to the teams at Random House Kids, Penguin Young Readers, and Tundra Books (all imprints of Penguin Random House) for the copies for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on any titles we featured today, the authors, or publishers, feel free to click through the links provided above.  The first two titles are available now, while the third is set to release next month (08/02/16), so be on the lookout for them on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time...happy reading!

Clean Sweep! Frank Zamboni's Ice Machine by Monica Kulling

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

We're tucking into Saturday with an edutainment pick from an author we know and love here on the site.  Her latest addition to the Great Ideas Series released this January and she's once again shed light on the creative mind behind an invention we know of but not as much about...unless you're a hockey or ice skating fan.  Can you guess where I'm going with this yet?  No worries.  We'll let the chill in the air cool off your Summer day as we explore between the pages of today's book of choice...

Clean Sweep!

Frank Zomboni's Ice Machine

Great Ideas Series

by

Monica Kulling

Illustrated by

Renne Benoit

9781770497955

Tundra Books

This is the story of how Zamboni became the name synonymous with those one-manned Ice Machines that work their magic on rinks around the globe.  Frank's invention came out of necessity, as do some of the best ones out there.  He needed a way to cut down the time it took to provide skaters at his rink with a smooth, glass-like surface to glide across for pleasure, practice, or intensive play.  You see, back in the 1940's the job took MULTIPLE people to accomplish in almost a TWO HOUR window.  Would YOU want to wait that long to get back on the ice?  Yeah...in today's give-it-to-me-now-and-why-is-this-site-taking-so-darn-long-though-it's-really-only-been-five-seconds world, the place would be deserted in a heartbeat.  Frank knew there had to be a better way and through his ingenuity, hard work, and dedication, the dream he dreamed turned reality.

I've said it before and I'll continue saying it as this series of Children's Non-Fiction works grows...I love how they wrap the educational aspects of the book inside wonderfully illustrated pages that highlight inventors of those things we take for granted but never took a second to think about how they came to be.  You're made to think about the "what if's".  You know, WHAT IF this person never had that idea, WHAT IF they decided it wasn't worth the effort, WHAT IF that invention never came to be...and so on.  Those lead us to the "how's", like HOW would our lives be impacted by that invention not having been made, HOW would we have advanced in that particular area...and so on. 

So you see, a two fold read indeed.  It's entertaining and educational in all the right proportions with illustrations that fill in the blanks for those lack previous exposure to the particular invention.  I was born in the Northern U.S. so we had more ice rinks than my current "home", thus I'd seen one face-to-face so to speak in my youth.  They're pretty big and mysterious to see, but this little read explains it all without getting too in-depth for those with passing interest.  I'd say a win win overall and a delightful read perfect for the classroom, summer reading lists, and family read nights.

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About the author...

Photo: Jamie Buisman c/o Author's Site

Monica Kulling was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. She received a BA in creative writing from the University of Victoria. Monica Kulling has published twenty-six fiction and nonfiction books for children, including picture books, poetry, and biographies. She is best known for introducing biography to children just learning to read and has written about Harriet Tubman, Houdini, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Amelia Earhart among others. Monica Kulling lives in Toronto, Canada.

SITE  |  FACEBOOK

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Special thanks to author Monica Kulling and the team at Tundra Books for the copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the series, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now via Tundra Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.  Stay tuned for more from this prolific author, as Zap! is set to hit store shelves this August...and guess who has a review copy already in hand and ready to review?  ^-^

Until next time...happy reading!

To the Rescue: Garrett Morgan Underground by Monica Kulling

Hi guys and gals!

Welcome back to another day here at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're continuing along the same vein of things as yesterday's Ordinary People Change the World blog tour with a review of the latest addition to ANOTHER fabulous Children's Edutainment Storybook series.  It comes to us from an author whose work has been featured right here many a time before and hopefully many times to come.  She always brings a certain spark to her titles and manages to convey the information in such a way that readers of all ages are perceptive to the message.  It's a perfect fit after yesterday's post and a great match for Black History month which we are just at the start of.  Well now, enough with the suspense, let's get to it and do it!  Today's book of choice is...

To the Rescue:

Garrett Morgan Underground

by

Monica Kulling

Illustrated by

David Parkins

9781770495203

Tundra Books

About the book...

The son of freed slaves, Garrett Morgan was determined to have a better life than laboring in the Kentucky fields with his parents and ten siblings. He began by sweeping floors in a clothing factory in Cleveland, Ohio, where he decided to invent a stronger belt for sewing machines. When he was promoted to sewing-machine repairman, Garrett was on his way. In 1911, 146 workers died in the shocking Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City, so Garrett decided to invent a safety hood for firefighters. Little did he know that most people wouldn't be interested in buying his safety hood when they discovered its inventor was black. But an explosion that trapped workers in a tunnel under Lake Erie soon changed all that. Garrett's hoods were rushed to the scene and used to rescue as many men as possible. Developed further, Garrett's invention came to save thousands of soldiers from chlorine gas in the trenches of World War I.

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A fascinating look at the life of a man whose work we take for granted yet never knew the mind behind.  That's what I LOVE about the Great Ideas series.  Every installment brings to light something everyday that we may not even look twice at, turns it inside out, and brings to the forefront the person or persons we have to thank for their creative genius.  In this case, it is one Garrett Morgan.

Now, admittedly when I first saw the title of this one combined with the imagery on both the front and back covers, I thought it had something to to with a little known member of the Underground Railroad.  Whoops!  I suppose I should have noticed the sewing machine odds and ends laying about but what can I say, I glanced quickly and I WAS viewing it on my phone so tiny picture = my mistake.  Once I had it in my hot little hands, I realized the "error of my ways" and dove right in to discover what this man's life was REALLY all about.  

From his notice of things that could be made stronger so they were more efficient to the inventor's mind that lived inside of him, both combined to create a very remarkable life.  True, it wasn't easy going for him, as African Americans were just beginning to be accepted as free let alone businessmen, but that doesn't mean he gave up.  If he had, we wouldn't have hair refiner (straightens out the curliest of hair), modern day gas masks (the original format/idea came to him from watching elephants!), or even the traffic signal as we know it today.  Surprised?  I told you this series was good...

All in all, a great addition to any reader's library from the tall to the small, the home to the classroom, or anywhere in-between.  The informative nature of the story combined with the detailed illustrations that cover every page add up to an edutainment experience not to be missed.  If you haven't checked out this series as of yet, I highly suggest you do as it keeps growing and growing and growing and...well, you get the idea.  ^_^

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About the author...

Monica Kulling was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. She received a BA in creative writing from the University of Victoria. Monica Kulling has published twenty-six fiction and nonfiction books for children, including picture books, poetry, and biographies. She is best known for introducing biography to children just learning to read and has written about Harriet Tubman, Houdini, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Amelia Earhart among others. Monica Kulling lives in Toronto, Canada.

SITE  |  AUTHOR PAGE

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Special thanks to author Monica Kulling and the team at Tundra Books for the review copy.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the Great Ideas series, the author, the illustrator, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title just celebrated its BOOK BIRTHDAY last month via Tundra Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time...happy reading!