Classroom Activities for World Elephant Day and National Elephant Appreciation Day with The Elephants of Thula Thula

Hello and Welcome! 🐘

You have arrived at the right spot to find information, a puzzle, or fun projects for your students. I hope you enjoy celebrating two special awareness weeks:

• August 12, World Elephant Day  
• September 22, National Elephant Appreciation Day

Here's a list of activity ideas and links. Also, scroll down to find a printable word search puzzle as well as some ecology definitions.

Classroom Activities & Resources

READ: I hope you enjoy reading The Elephants Come Home , a 2024 finalist for several state awards!

LISTEN: Elephant Voices:  How do elephants communicate with one another? What does the position of their trunks mean? Why do they flap their ears?  What is infrasound? Learn all this and more at “Communication between Elephants Voices and Sounds.” Elephants in Zoo and Circus Elephant Encyclopedia. *Bonus, scroll to the bottom of the page and hear recordings of elephants! https://www.upali.ch/communication_en.html. MORE: Ear flapping. Head Waggling. What does it all mean? Check out Elephant Voices.

WATCH: Elephants aren't puppies yet watch eco-warrior Lawrence Anthony call for the herd featured in The Elephants Come Home(seven-minute YouTube video). 

EXPLORE: The five senses: Would you like to learn more about an elephant’s vision, hearing, or their keen sense of smell?  Check out elephant senses: https://seaworld.org/animals/all-about/elephants/senses/

Warm Blooded vs. Cold Blooded Creatures: At this link, Sea World features a classroom activity for teachers and students to discuss warm blooded vs. cold blooded animals. Make sure you add elephants to the conversation!

SPELL: Animal Spelling Bee: The SeaWorld website features another fun activity. You can host an  animal-centered spelling bee – just add “elephant” to the list. You’ll discuss words like “conservation”, “habitat”, and more. Consider adding “Zululand, South Africa” to the list, and discuss the difference between a continent and a country.

SCHOOL VISIT: I love chatting with students. Please check out the “Contact” page on my website (KimTomsic.com ) for a full menu of school visit options (live or via Zoom).

MEET: “Meet” the Elephants of Thula Thula (pronounced toola toola). Learn the names of the elephants that live in the wildlife sanctuary.

BECOME AN ECO-WARRIOR: Consider a classroom fundraiser, “Pennies for Protection” and adopt an elephant.

Word Search Puzzle (High-quality Printable version at this link) :

Definitions:

Habitat –A habitat is an environment where an organism lives for normal life and growth. The habitat contains all an animal needs to survive such as food and shelter. 

 

Biome – “A biome is a large area characterized by its vegetation, soil, climate, and wildlife.” – National Geographic. A biome is a community made of all the habitats in a region and climate.

 

Boma – “Boma” is a word borrowed from the Swahili language. It is a coral that is built as a space to help animals get used to their new home prior to letting them enjoy the entire wildlife reserve. Read more about bomas and how they are built at Our Planet, My Lens.

 

Reserve: A “reserve” is a managed area meant to protect wildlife and their habitats. There is no hunting on a wildlife reserve. Lawrence and Francoise Anthony started the wildlife reserve called Thula Thula.   

 

Thula Thula: Lawrence and Francoise Anthony started the wildlife reserve called Thula Thula. Thula Thula is a Zulu word that means “peace and tranquility”.

 

Elephants – seven elephants came to Thula Thula. The matriarch’s name is Nana. Her sister’s name is Frankie.

 

Eco Warrior –someone who makes hands-on effort to protect the environment.

 

South Africa: South Africa is a country just like the United States is a country. It is located on the continent of Africa.

 

Province: Some countries are divided into provinces which are, according to Merriam Webster,  “an administrative district or division of a country.”

 

MAP: From zoomed out to zoomed in (biggest to smallest) here’s where ThulaThula and its elephants are located:

Africa is the continent.

South Africa is one of the 54 countries on the continent of Africa.

KwaZulu-Natal is one of the nine provinces within South Africa.

Zululand is the region in KwaZulu-Natal where the elephants lived on the reserve.

Thula Thula is the game reserve in Zululand where the elephants live.

 

 

Awards & Critical Praise:

The Elephants Come Home by Kim Tomsic illustrated by Hadley Hooper. The amazing true story of a herd of elephants, the man who saved them, and the miracle of love that brought them home. One day in 1999, Lawrence Anthony and Françoise Malby Anthony receive word that a herd of wild African elephants need a new home. They welcome the elephants to their wildlife sanctuary—Thula Thula. But the elephants are much less sure they want to stay. How will Lawrence prove to them that they are safe and loved? What follows is a gorgeously illustrated real-life story of friendship . . . and the story of the miraculous way that love given freely will return—greater and more wonderful than it began. Chronicle Books,  ISBN: 978-1452127835

2022 Norman A. Sugarman Children's Biography Honor 

2022-23 Pennsylvania Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Award Primary Grade Winner

2023 Minnesota Comstock-Gág Book Award Winner

2022 Blue Grass Award Finalist

2022-23 Alabama Children’s Choice Camellia Award Finalist grades 2-3

2023-24 California Young Reader Award Finalist

2023-24 Iowa Goldfinch Award Finalist

2024 Utah Beehive Award Finalist

2024 Connecticut Nutmeg Award Finalist

2024 Illinois Bluestem Award Finalist grades 3-5

Resource - free!

Book available for purchase at:

The Wandering Jellyfish: Click Here

Changing Hands Bookstore: Click Here

Barnes and Noble: Click Here

Indiebound (or to check your local bookstore): Click Here

Red Balloon Bookshop: Click Here

Amazon: Click Here

Or simply ask your local bookseller!

Please reach out if you have any questions!

5 Quick Reasons Why Reading Connects You with Literary Agents, Authors, and Editors

If you’re planning to attend a local event, regional gathering, or even an international publishing conference, I strongly urge you to READ! Reading the faculty members’ books prior to the event will give you more bang for your buck!

Connecting with Authors and Attendees: Reading select books in advance is a great way to connect with what is said in the keynote speeches and breakout sessions, and it provides a common ground with fellow attendees. 

Connecting with Agents: Read books written by the agents' clients - especially the agents whom you'd like to connect with. Reading an agent's clients' books is a great starting point to vet if an agent might be a good fit for you. You'll get a sense of their taste, and you might see the agent acknowledged in the back of the book. Furthermore, reading an agent's clients book offers material for nice conversation starters. If you like the agent, another step to vet them is by checking out what they're looking for on their manuscript wish list at #MSWL. 

Connecting with Editors: Furthermore, read books the editors on the faculty have worked on. Get to know an editor's taste and style. When you land in an elevator or bump into an editor at a conference-sponsored coffee or cocktail party, you'll have something authentic to talk about that is "them" focused.

I’ve been to dozens of SCBWI conferences. Every year, I’m thankful I did my self-imposed homework—it's worth the effort. 

Here are the top five reasons reading books written/edited/or agented by conference faculty will give you a RICHER, MORE TEXTURED conference experience:

Mem Fox reading to the audience! 

1.      You'll enjoy keynotes on a deeper level, because you’ve already crawled inside the author’s

head. Instead of looking at a stranger standing at the podium, you’ll feel like you’re listening to a friend. When a speaker refers to their book in a keynote or break-out session, you’ll be connected and understand the “inside” jokes and references. Do you have to read books before coming—No. Do the speeches feel more engaging and meaningful if you do—Absolutely, yes!

2.      You have conversation starters and a better opportunity to connect with the faculty, not to mention connecting with fellow attendees. I can't tell you how many times I've turned a stranger into a friend, because we both gushed over a faculty member's book. 

Reading your way to lasting friendships!

3.      You look like a professional. Reading the work of relevant speakers shows that you care about what’s happening in the publishing industry. You show that you are a good literary citizen. Furthermore, it’s a great way to vet which publishing professionals might be a good fit for you. Other ways to stay on top of what's happening in the publishing industry is subscribing to a free weekly update in Publisher's Lunch (by Publisher's Marketplace).

4.      You get exposed to books and genres you may not have considered—this helps rev-up the creative juices. Who knows - perhaps your own work will benefit.

5.      Great writers are readers first! 

A family curse. An “innocent” prank. A magic candle THE 12TH CANDLE

THE 12TH CANDLE by Kim Tomsic 

(October 8, 2019 Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins) ISBN 978-0062654977

Since birth, Sage Sassafras has been plagued by the Contrarium Curse, aka the Curse of the Opposites, and it has pitted her against tall, rich, basketball star, Priscilla Petty. When Priscilla lands dunk shots, Sage throws bricks. When Priscilla has a good hair day, Sage gets tangles, and when Priscilla’s father lands a big promotion at work, things go really sour for Sage’s daddy.

So when Noodler, the biggest search-engine company in the world, challenges students at Goldview K-8 to the Doodle for Noodler art contest, Sage is determined to win fame before Priscilla can, and thereby change her reputation from infamous to famous. Plus, with a little help from the magic candle she received on her 12^th birthday, she believes she can do even more! The candle brings pizza, art supplies, and new clothing—maybe it can change the curse, too, so Sage makes the ultimate wish—she asks for a curse-reverse.

When the consequences of her wish take a terrible turn, she has to team up with her frenimies and figure out how to break the curse and its reverse for good, she’ll be doomed to a life of opposites forever!

CRITICAL PRAISE:

“A thoughtful look at curse versus choice and an encouragement to youngsters to make their own paths.”—Kirkus Review

“Friendship, magic, and pink lightning—this book is a wish come true!” —Lauren Myracle

 “This sweetly magical novel is a lesson in kindness. There is magic in all of us.” –Kristen Gilligan, owner, Tattered Cover Book Store

“A heartfelt and humorous story about the ups and downs of middle school, touching on the ways acts of forgiveness can change an entire community. The 12^th Candle is a wish come true!” –McCourt Thomas, Head of Youth Services, Lyons Regional Library District

“An enchanting and heartfelt story for anyone who has ever tried to wish away their problems!” –Ida Olson, Library Media Specialist, McCormick Junior High School

If you would like a signed copy, please order through the following bookstores and let them know you'd like your copy personalized:

Changing Hands Bookstore: https://www.changinghands.com/book/9780062654977

Tattered Cover Bookstore: https://www.tatteredcover.com/book/9780062654977

BookBar Denver https://www.bookbardenver.com/book/9780062654977

Boulder Bookstore: https://www.boulderbookstore.net/book/9780062654977

PUBLIC EVENTS:

October 8th, 7:00 PM Tattered Cover Bookstore, 2526 E. Colfax Avenue, Denver

October 12th, noon, SCBWI Rocky Mountains

October 26th, 2:00 PM Changing Hands Bookstore, 6428 S. McClintock, Tempe AZ

November 9th:  Boulder Connect, Boulder Colorado

School visits (not listed here) have been scheduled through:  BookBar Denver, Tattered Cover Bookstore, Boulder Bookstore, and Changing Hands Bookstore. 

Buying Link: Indie Bound https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062654977

Would you like to know about the author:

Please visit Kim Tomsic's Website:  http://kimtomsic.com/

ISBN 978-0062654977

What to Read Next: List of 2016 Notable Children's Books and YALSA Awards

YALSA Names 2016 top ten best fiction for Young Adults

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), announced its 2016 Best Fiction for Young Adults (BFYA) list.

Albertalli, Becky. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Harper/Balzer and Bray. 2015.

Bardugo, Leigh. Six of Crows. Holt. 2015.

Brooks, Kevin. The Bunker Diary. Lerner/Carolrhoda Lab. 2015.

Crowder, Melanie. Audacity. Philomel. 2015.

Older, Daniel José. Shadowshaper. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine Books. 2015.

Reynolds, Jason. The Boy in the Black Suit. Atheneum. 2015.

Ruby, Laura. Bone Gap. Harper/Balzer and Bray. 2015.

Shabazz, Ilyasah and Kekla Magoon. X: A Novel. Candlewick. 2015.

Shusterman, Neal. Challenger Deep. HarperTeen. 2015.

Silvera, Adam. More Happy than Not. Soho Teen. 2015.

YALSA The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), announced its 2016 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers list.

Nonfiction

• Maggs, Sam. A Fan Girl’s Guide to the Galaxy: A Handbook for Girl Geeks. 2015. Illus. Quirk Books.
• Schatz, Kate. Rad American Women A-Z: Rebels, Trailblazers, and Visionaries Who Shaped Our History... and Our Future! 2015. Illus. City Lights Books.

Fiction

• Aveyard, Victoria. Red Queen. 2015. HarperTeen/HarperCollins.
• Black, Holly and Clare, Cassandra. The Iron Trial. 2014. Illus. Scholastic Press.
• Lee, Fonda. Zeroboxer. 2015. Flux/Llewellyn Worldwide.
• Murphy, Julie. Dumplin’. 2015. Balzer & Bray/HarperCollins
• Myers, E.C. The Silence of Six. 2014. Adaptive Studios.
• Older, Daniel José. Shadowshaper. 2015. Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic.
• Stevenson, Noelle. Nimona. 2015. Illus. HarperTeen/HarperCollins.
• Yoon, Nicola. Everything, Everything. Illus. 2015. Delacorte Press/Random House.

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), has selected its 2016 list of Notable Children’s Books. The list of titles includes fiction, nonfiction, poetry and picture books of special interest, quality, creativity and value to children 14 years of age and younger.

The titles include:

Younger Readers

"An Ambush of Tigers: A Wild Gathering of Collective Nouns." By Betsy R. Rosenthal. Illus. by Jago. Lerner/Millbrook.

"The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth, & Harlem’s Greatest Bookstore." By Vaunda Micheaux Nelson. Illus. by R. Gregory Christie. Lerner/Carolrhoda.

"Ballet Cat: The Totally Secret Secret." By Bob Shea. Illus. by the author. Disney/Hyperion.

"Beep! Beep! Go to Sleep!" By Todd Tarpley. Illus. by John Rocco. Little, Brown.

"Boats for Papa." By Jessixa Bagley. Illus. by the author. Roaring Book/Neal Porter.

"A Chicken Followed Me Home! Questions and Answers about a Familiar Fowl." By Robin Page. Illus. by the author. Simon & Schuster/Beach Lane.

"Detective Gordon: The First Case." By Ulf Nilsson. Illus. by Gitte Spee. Gecko.

"Don’t Throw It to Mo!" By David A. Adler. Illus. by Sam Ricks. Penguin.

"Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music." By Margarita Engle. Illus. by Rafael López. HMH.

"Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah." By Laurie Ann Thompson. Illus. by Sean Qualls. Random/Schwartz & Wade.

"Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear." By Lindsay Mattick. Illus. by Sophie Blackall. Little, Brown.

"Float." By Daniel Miyares. Illus. by the author. Simon & Schuster.

"Flop to the Top!" By Eleanor Davis and Drew Weing. Illus. by the authors. TOON.

"Flutter & Hum / Aleteo y zumbido: Animal Poems / Poemas de animales." Ed. by Julie Paschkis. Illus. by the author. Holt.

"Gingerbread for Liberty: How a German Baker Helped Win the American Revolution." By Mara Rockliff. Illus. by Vincent X. Kirsch. HMH.

"Grandma Lives in a Perfume Village." By Fang Suzhen. Illus. by Sonja Danowski. NorthSouth.

"The Grasshopper and the Ants." By Jerry Pinkney. Illus. by the author. Little, Brown.

"Growing Up Pedro." By Matt Tavares. Illus. by the author. Candlewick.

"Hippos Are Huge!" By Jonathan London. Illus. by Matthew Trueman. Candlewick.

"I Yam a Donkey!" By Cece Bell. Illus. by the author. Clarion.

"If You Plant a Seed." By Kadir Nelson. Illus. by the author. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray.

"Last Stop on Market Street." By Matt de la Peña. Illus. by Christian Robinson. Putnam.

"Lenny & Lucy." By Philip C. Stead. Illus. by Erin E. Stead. Roaring Book/Neal Porter.

"Leo: A Ghost Story." By Mac Barnett. Illus. by Christian Robinson. Chronicle.

"Lillian’s Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965." By Jonah Winter. Illus. by Shane W. Evans. Random/Schwartz & Wade.

"Mango, Abuela, and Me." By Meg Medina. Illus. by Angela Dominguez. Candlewick.

"The Moon Is Going to Addy’s House." By Ida Pearle. Illus. by the author. Penguin/Dial.

"The Most Amazing Creature in the Sea." By Brenda Z. Guiberson. Illus. by Gennady Spirin. Holt.

"Moving Blocks." By Yusuke Yonezu. Illus. by the author. Michael Neugebauer/Minedition.

"Mr. Squirrel and the Moon." By Sebastian Meschenmoser. Illus. by the author. NorthSouth.

"My Tata’s Remedies = Los remedios de mi tata." By Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford. Illus. by Antonio Castro L. Cinco Puntos.

"A Pig, a Fox, and a Box." By Jonathan Fenske. Illus. by the author. Penguin.

"Piper Green and the Fairy Tree." By Ellen Potter. Illus. by Qin Leng. Knopf.

"The Popcorn Astronauts: And Other Biteable Rhymes." By Deborah Ruddell. Illus. by Joan Rankin. Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry.

"The Princess and the Pony." By Kate Beaton. Illus. by the author. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine.

"Raindrops Roll." By April Pulley Sayre. Illus. by the author. Simon & Schuster/Beach Lane.

"Red. By Jan De Kinder." Illus. by the author. Eerdmans.

"Roger Is Reading a Book." By Koen Van Biesen. Illus. by the author. Eerdmans.

"Sidewalk Flowers." By JonArno Lawson. Illus. by Sydney Smith. Groundwood.

"The Skunk." By Mac Barnett. Illus. by Patrick McDonnell. Roaring Brook.

"Special Delivery." By Philip C. Stead. Illus. by Matthew Cordell. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter.

"Supertruck." By Stephen Savage. Illus. by the author. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter.

"Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova." By Laurel Snyder. Illus. by Julie Morstad. Chronicle.

"Tiptoe Tapirs." By Hanmin Kim. Illus. by the author. Holiday.

"Trombone Shorty." By Troy Andrews. Illus. by Bryan Collier. Abrams.

"Two Mice." By Sergio Ruzzier. Illus. by the author. Clarion.

"Wait." By Antoinette Portis. Illus. by the author. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter.

"Waiting." By Kevin Henkes. Illus. by the author. HarperCollins/Greenwillow.

“Water Is Water: A Book about the Water Cycle.” By Miranda Paul. Illus. by Jason Chin. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter.

“Who Done It?” By Olivier Tallec. Illus. by the author. Chronicle.

“Wolfie the Bunny. By Ame Dyckman. Illus. by Zachariah OHora. Little, Brown.

“The Wonderful Fluffy Little Squishy.” By Beatrice Alemagna. Illus. by the author. Enchanted Lion.

“Woodpecker Wham!” By April Pulley Sayre. Illus. by Steve Jenkins. Holt.

“Written and Drawn by Henrietta.” By Liniers. Illus. by the author. TOON.

Middle Readers

"28 Days: Moments in Black History That Changed the World." By Charles R. Smith Jr. Illus. by Shane W. Evans. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter.

"Adam and Thomas." By Aharon Appelfeld. Illus. by Philippe Dumas. Seven Stories/Triangle Square.

"Adventures with Waffles." By Maria Parr. Illus. by Kate Forrester. Candlewick.

"Blackbird Fly." By Erin Entrada Kelly. HarperCollins/Greenwillow.

"The Blackthorn Key." By Kevin Sands. Aladdin.

"Echo." By Pam Muñoz Ryan. Scholastic.

"Enormous Smallness: A Story of E. E. Cummings." By Matthew Burgess. Illus. by Kris Di Giacomo. Enchanted Lion.

"Fish in a Tree." By Lynda Mullaly Hunt. Penguin/Nancy Paulsen.

"Frederick’s Journey: The Life of Frederick Douglass." By Doreen Rappaport. Illus. by London Ladd. Disney/Jump at the Sun.

"Full Cicada Moon." By Marilyn Hilton. Penguin/Dial.

"Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras." By Duncan Tonatiuh. Illus. by the author. Abrams.

"Fuzzy Mud." By Louis Sachar. Random/Delacorte.

"George." By Alex Gino. Scholastic.

"Gone Crazy in Alabama." By Rita Williams-Garcia. HarperCollins/Amistad.

"Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible." By Ursula Vernon. Illus. by the author. Penguin/Dial.

"Lailah’s Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story." By Reem Faruqi. Illus. by Lea Lyon. Tilbury.

"Lost in the Sun." By Lisa Graff. Penguin/Philomel.

"Mad about Monkeys." By Owen Davey. Illus. by the author. Flying Eye.

"Mars Evacuees." By Sophia McDougall. HarperCollins.

"The Marvels." By Brian Selznick. Illus. by the author. Scholastic.

"Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery That Baffled All of France." By Mara Rockliff. Illus. by Iacopo Bruno. Candlewick.

"My Story, My Dance: Robert Battle’s Journey to Alvin Ailey." By Lesa Cline-Ransome. Illus. by James E. Ransome. Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman.

"My Two Blankets." By Irena Kobald. Illus. by Freya Blackwood. HMH.

"Murder Is Bad Manners." By Robin Stevens. Simon & Schuster.

"The Nest." By Kenneth Oppel. Illus. by Jon Klassen. Simon & Schuster.

"Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton." By Don Tate. Illus. by the author. Peachtree.

"Red Butterfly." By A. L. Sonnichsen. Illus. by Amy June Bates. Simon & Schuster.

"Roller Girl." By Victoria Jamieson. Illus. by the author. Penguin/Dial.

'Sex Is a Funny Word: A Book about Bodies, Feelings, and YOU." By Cory Silverberg. Illus. by Fiona Smyth. Seven Stories/Triangle Square.

"Stella by Starlight." By Sharon M. Draper. Atheneum.

"Terrible Typhoid Mary: A True Story of the Deadliest Cook in America." By Susan Campbell Bartoletti. illus. HMH.

"Tricky Vic: The Impossibly True Story of the Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower." By Greg Pizzoli. Illus. by the author. Penguin/Viking.

"Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer." By Kelly Jones. Illus. by Katie Kath. Knopf.

"The War That Saved My Life." By Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. Penguin/Dial.

Older Readers

"Baba Yaga’s Assistant." By Marika McCoola. Illus. by Emily Carroll. Candlewick.

"The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club." By Phillip Hoose. illus. Farrar.

"Child Soldier: When Boys and Girls Are Used in War." By Jessica Dee Humphreys and Michel Chikwanine. Illus. by Claudia Dávila. Kids Can.

"Cuckoo Song." By Frances Hardinge. Abrams/Amulet.

"Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans. "By Don Brown. Illus. by the author. HMH.

"Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir." By Margarita Engle. Atheneum.

"First Flight around the World: The Adventures of the American Fliers Who Won the Race." By Tim Grove. illus. Abrams.

"Goodbye Stranger." By Rebecca Stead. Random/Wendy Lamb.

"The Hired Girl." By Laura Amy Schlitz. Candlewick.

"The Lightning Queen." By Laura Resau. Scholastic.

"Listen, Slowly." By Thanhhà Lại. HarperCollins.

"Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War." By Steve Sheinkin. illus. Roaring Brook.

"My Seneca Village." By Marilyn Nelson. Namelos.

"Orbiting Jupiter." By Gary D. Schmidt. Clarion.

"Rhythm Ride: A Road Trip through the Motown Sound." By Andrea Davis Pinkney. illus. Roaring Brook.

"The Seventh Most Important Thing." By Shelley Pearsall. Knopf.

"The Smoking Mirror." By David Bowles. IFWG.

"The Thing about Jellyfish." By Ali Benjamin. Little, Brown.

"Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March." By Lynda Blackmon Lowery, as told to Elspeth Leacock and Susan Buckley. Illus. by P. J. Loughran. Penguin/Dial.

All Ages

"Bird and Diz." By Gary Golio. Illus. by Ed Young. Candlewick.

"Counting Lions." By Katie Cotton. Illus. by Stephen Walton. Candlewick.

"Hiawatha and the Peacemaker." By Robbie Robertson. Illus. by David Shannon. Abrams.

"Lost in NYC: A Subway Adventure." By Nadja Spiegelman. Illus. by Sergio García Sánchez. TOON Graphics.

"My Pen." By Christopher Myers. Illus. by the author. Disney/Hyperion.

"National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry: More Than 200 Poems with Photographs That Float, Zoom, and Bloom!" Ed. by J. Patrick Lewis. illus. National Geographic.

"The Only Child." By Guojing. Illus. by the author. Random/Schwartz & Wade.

"Pool." By JiHyeon Lee. Illus. by the author. Chronicle.

"Sail Away." By Langston Hughes. Illus. by Ashley Bryan. Atheneum.

"Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement." By Carole Boston Weatherford. Illus. by Ekua Holmes. Candlewick.

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), announced its 2016 Great Graphic Novels for Teens list.

• Awkward. By Svetlana Chmakova. Illus by the author. Yen Press. (9780316381307)
• Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans. By Don Brown. Illus by the author. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. (9780544157774).
• Lumberjanes.
  • vol. 1. By Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis and Shannon Watters. Illus. by Brooke Allen. Boom! Box, paper, $14.99, (9781608866878).
  • vol. 2. By Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis and Shannon Watters. Illus. by Brooke Allen. Boom! Box, paper, $14.99, (9781608867370).

• Ms. Marvel.
  • vol. 2: Generation Why. By G. Willow Wilson. Illus. by Jacob Wyatt and Adrian Alphona. Marvel Comics, paper, $15.99, (9780785190226).
  • vol. 3: Crushed. By G. Willow Wilson. Illus. by Takeshi Miyazawa and Elmo Bondoc. Marvel Comics, paper, $15.99, (9780785192275).

• Nimona. By Noelle Stevenson. Illus. by the author. Harper Teen, hardcover, $17.99, (9780062278234).
• Roller Girl. By Victoria Jamieson. Illus. by the author. Dial Books for Young Readers, hardcover, $20.99, (9780525429678).
• Sacred Heart. By Liz Suburbia. Illus. by the author. Fantagraphics, paper, $24.99, (9781606998410).
• A Silent Voice.
  • vol. 1. By Yoshitoki Oima. Illus. by the author. Kodansha Comics, paper, $10.99, (9781632360564).
  • vol. 2. By Yoshitoki Oima. Illus. by the author. Kodansha Comics, paper, $10.99, (9781632360571).
  • vol. 3. By Yoshitoki Oima. Illus. by the author. Kodansha Comics, paper, $10.99, (9781632360588).

• Trashed. By Derf Backderf. Illus. by the author. Abrams ComicArts, hardcover, $24.95, (9781419714535).

• The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl.
  • vol. 1: Squirrel Power. By Ryan North. Illus. by Erica Henderson. Marvel Comics, paper, $15.99, (9780785197027).
  • vol. 2: Squirrel You Know It’s True. By Ryan North. Illus. by Erica Henderson. Marvel Comics, paper, $14.99, (9780785197034).