Read, Discuss, and Do with MARI IN THE MARGINS

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By Marci Whitehurst The best books make readers feel like they aren’t alone. They’re seen. Understood. Our very own  Rebecca J. Gomez  accomplishes this flawlessly in Mari in the Margins , her new middle grade novel in verse, published by Bandersnatch Books. It releases May 14 th !  Here’s a snippet about the novel, which you’ll surely want to READ:   For Marivel Jiménez, life in her big family is full of chaos. Feeling overlooked by her parents and overshadowed by her siblings is frustrating, and it's even worse to have the constant attention of her annoying, mischievous three-year-old sister, Susana.  Caught between her need to be noticed and her dream of having time to herself, Marivel pours herself into poetry and, eventually, art journaling. When she hears of a school-wide poetry contest, she sees winning as a chance to escape the margins of her family and finally be seen. Doesn’t that sound amazing? That’s because it is. I was honored to read the book ahead of its release—and
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A Build It Challenge Inspired by THE THINGITY-JIG by Kathleen Doherty

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by Mindy Baker

Read: THE THINGITY-JIG by Kathleen Doherty and illustrated by Kristyna Litten is a sure hit with your little engineer-builders. A sweet little bear can’t sleep and wants to play, but his friends want to sleep. Under the silvery moon he finds a Thingity-Jig. To move it, he uses a Rolly-Rumpity, Lifty-Uppity, and a Pushy-Poppity. At daybreak, his friends wake up and want to play. Bear has to remind them when it is his turn…but then he falls asleep. The whimsical world play takes this book to the top of my list because it is so much fun to read.

Discuss:

  1. What is your favorite contraption that Bear built?
  2. Have you ever build something that helped you to do a difficult task? What was it?
  3. What makes a good friend?
  4. Do you like to share and take turns?
  5. Do you like it when other kids take turns with you?

Do:

Build your own "rollity-rumpity" or other contraption inspired by THE THINGITY-JIG using Lego bricks, blocks, or other building toys. For an extra challenge, use items that you find around the house. How could you use the following items? 

  • A rubber band
  • Plastic bottle tops
  • Scraps of wood
  • Bits of cardboard 
  • Wooden dowels or pencils
  • Nuts and bolts
  • String

Short on supplies? Try drawing your contraption instead! Give your contraption a fun, original name. What job can your contraption help you accomplish?

For more building fun, check out these links for some step-by-step directions to simple machines:

Simple Lever

Simple Catapult

We’d love to see a picture of something you build and hear what you name it! You can share in the comments or on social media using the hashtag #RDDSummerChallenge.

Other “Inventions” books:

THE MOST MAGNIFICENT THING by Ashley Spires

This book shows the emotions inventors experience through the trial and error of a creation. In the end the little girl creates a scooter with doggy side car for her beloved pet.

BE A MAKER by Katey Howes and illustrated by Elizabet Vuković

This is a call to the reader to get creative in all aspects of life. The book shows children making towers, music, a telescope, blueprints, a cardboard spaceship…and much more. It is a celebration of the inventive human spirit.

GOING PLACES by Peter and Paul Reynolds

When the teacher hands out kits to make go-carts, Rafael and his friend Maya decide to create something their own way instead of following the directions like everyone else. The result is spectacular and wins the race!

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