BIKE ON BEAR a Summer Reading Sensation

BIKE ON BEAR by Cynthea Liu Illustrated by Kristyna Litten.

 New this month, BIKE ON BEAR (Aladdin, June 2, 2015) by Cynthea Liu Illustrated by Kristyna Litten.

JACKETFLAP:

Bear can do almost anything. His one-paw pawstand is perfection. He can solve the trickiest of equations. He can even out-build a brigade of beavers. But the one thing Bear can’t do? Ride a bike.

Bear tries everything to help him learn: library books, training wheels and super-cheers from his fellow animal friends. But all of those fail to get poor Bear on two wheels. The situation is looking unbearable, but an unexpected mishap might be just the thing that propels Bear to bike on!

BIKE ON BEAR is packed with clever, fresh and FUNny ideas; plus add on the illustrations and you get a story that’s both gratifying and hilarious. Picture book readers will enjoy the heart and determination in this story, and picture book writers can use this as a perfect “how-to craft book” (a story problem, try-fails, the rule of threes and the bookending style where the story’s beginning and end match so nicely). BIKE ON BEAR is definitely this summer’s bookstore star.

Kirkus Review: "Bear’s supportive friends and family, along with Litten’s warm-hued, cozy illustrations, drape the story in comfort, even during Bear’s many tumbles and spills.This pivotal childhood milestone is often defined by fear, but this variant is for young brooders everywhere. "

• Age Range: 4 - 7 years
• Grade Level: Preschool - 2
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (June 2, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1481405063
• ISBN-13: 978-1481405065

Buying Links:
Indie Bound:  Buy from an Indie Store
Barnes and Noble
Boulder Bookstore
Tattered Cover
Amazon

Diversity in YA Fiction

"Diversity in YA Fiction is a website and book tour founded by two young adult authors, Malinda Lo and Cindy Pon, to celebrate diverse stories in YA."

I came across Diversity in YA Fiction on Twitter (@cindypon). She posted a challenge to take the DiYA reading challenge:

" What to read: You can read whichever diverse books you like! By diverse we mean: (1) main characters or major secondary characters (e.g., a love interest or best friend kind of character) who are of color or are LGBT; or (2) written by a person of color or LGBT author. If you need some suggestions, check out our monthly lists of new books, and these book lists at Black Teens Read."

My "Diversity" Reading Experience:
I grew up in a military family. We moved from base to base and diversity was the consistent norm. Although the classroom rosters included a good number of students who were Latino, Korean, Vietnamese, Black, White, etc., I only saw--Hong, the prettiest girl in school;or Addie, oh, so funny, or Nanae, super-good at basketball... I want on her team; or Jason, will he look at me today or is he crushing on Hong. Sure, attention was given to labels like rich and poor, but we never wasted time on color. I honestly thought my school, my world was a microcosm of how all communities functioned. It wasn't until after I graduated college that I discovered my experiences were unique.  By taking the Diversity in YA challenge, I enjoyed getting lost in the texture and color of different worlds now that I live in a white-washed community.   Reading expands teens' horizons and experiences. Just like I thought everyone grew up with diversity, there are those who may have limited exposure to diversity and in turn they believe their world is the norm. Thank goodness for authors like Matt de la Pena and Sherman Alexie (and Cindy Pon and Malinda Lo) who set us straight while entertaining.

Some recommendations to add to the suggested reading list include:
We Were Here by Matt de la Peña
How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy by Crystal Allen
A Single Shard by Lin Sue Park
Snowflower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Mexican White Boy by Matt de la Peña
Ball Don't Lie by Matt de la Peña
Paris Pan Takes the Dare by Cynthea Liu
The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Same Kind of Different As Me (not technically a YA or MG read, but still recommended) by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

What are additional titles that should be added to this list?