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The Great Caper Caper (Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast #5) by Josh Funk — Cover Reveal!

Cover Reveal of Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast #5: The Great Caper Caper by Josh Funk & illustrated by Brendan Kearney

My family has followed the Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast series since the beginning (2015). My granddaughter and I were #TeamLadyPancake and my husband and daughters were #Team SirFrenchToast. Once, we had an incident with running out of maple syrup, but Josh Funk took that scenario to a whole new level in his first installment of the series. Now, all these years later, we still look to these characters to brighten our mornings!

Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast, the series

Here’s a description of the newest book: Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast are back in a Las Veggies heist for the ages! Pancake and Toast awake one morning to near-darkness. Who could possibly have stolen the fridge light? And what if the fridge is—gasp—dark all the time? Not to worry; Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast are on the case! Along with their friends, they assemble blueprints, collect supplies, and investigate. Will they bring the fridge back to its bright self, or will they have to live in semi-darkness . . . forever?

Josh: Hi, Jennifer. Thanks for having me over to chat!

Jennifer: We are excited to see what’s next in the series! When did you realize that Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast had more adventures coming?

Josh: As soon as I saw Brendan Kearney’s sketches for the very first book I knew I wanted to write more stories in this amazing world he’d created. I mean, all I gave him were the names “Lady Pancake” and “Sir French Toast” – he came up with all of the details from the strawberry hat and the whipped cream hair to the wafer crown and the chocolate mustache! I knew I had to explore more inside the fridge world!

Jennifer: I love the play on words/vocabulary with multiple meanings. How long did the book take to write?

Josh: Thanks! According to Google Docs, it took about two weeks to write the first draft – and then another three months to revise – and that’s before I even sent it off to my editor. We then continued to edit for another four months before sending it off to Brendan to begin illustrating. To be honest, in publishing, that’s actually pretty quick.

Jennifer: Well, it’s certainly a long time for us readers! Will we be seeing our favorite characters again in The Great Caper Caper? Are there new characters for us to meet?

Josh: Yes, and yes! In many ways, this book is a reunion of sorts for characters who’ve shown up throughout the series. As you probably know from any heist book or movie, you need a whole team to pull a caper – and Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast recruit not only Baron von Waffle, but characters major and minor from all four of the previous books (Of course, you don’t have to have read any of the previous books to enjoy this one).

And the new character, Count Caper, is as despicable as capers get (I don’t like capers, btw – the food kind).

Josh: Thanks so much for hosting the cover reveal! Here it is…

The Great Caper Caper by Josh Funk and illustrated by Brendan Kearney is available for preorder from your favorite book retailers and releases on September 20th, 2022, published by Union Square Kids.

Josh Funk is a software engineer and the author of books like the Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series, the ​It’s Not a Fairy Tale series, the How to Code with Pearl and Pascal series, the A Story of Patience & Fortitude series, Dear Dragon, Pirasaurs!, Albie Newton, and coming soon: My Pet Feet (8/23/22), It’s Not the Three Little Pigs (10/25/22), and Dear Unicorn (fall 2023)! For more information about Josh Funk, visit him at http://www.joshfunkbooks.com and on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at @joshfunkbooks.

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IMWAYR: Spring Break at Home

It’s Spring Break! Since we are home for the duration, I decided to re-read some amazing books along with the authors this week. One of the positive memories I will take away from the COVID-19 mess is the authors and illustrators who generously give their time to read aloud to a wide virtual audience, including teachers, parents, and students. Thank you so much!

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (April 6 – 10 on Facebook Live at 10:30 am ET)

Dear Dragon and Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast: The Case of the Stinky Stench by Josh Funk (Saturdays at 11 am on Instagram Live)

Tomorrow’s highly-anticipated book birthday — Gae Polisner’s Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me — finally arrives. Happy Book Birthday! We will celebrate by eating cake and listening to Gae read aloud at her Virtual Facebook Live Launch party! (April 7 on Facebook Live from 7-9 pm ET)

Stay safe and healthy out there!

It’s Monday! What Are YOU Reading?

This meme is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It’s also a great chance to see what others are reading right now…you just might discover your next “must-read” book!

Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and Kathryn decided to give “It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?” a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit – join us! We love this meme and think you will, too. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

 


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IMWAYR: Picture Books and Memoirs

I’m spending the week with my granddaughter and today we headed to The Brain Lair Bookstore to visit Kathy (the owner and my book buddy). “M” spied one of her favorite authors right away and said, “Hey! Look! We have How to Build a Sandcastle! How about we get It’s NOT Jack and the Beanstalk?” (We have that one already, thanks to our generous and amazing friend, Josh Funk. We also have Mission Defrostable, so we searched the shelves for something we don’t already own.)

We looked a little deeper and I found a title I knew she hadn’t seen before – Claymates by Dev Petty and the fabulous Lauren Eldridge. I said Dev Petty was the author who wrote I Don’t Want to Be a Frog, and “M” was convinced. She immediately opened her new book and started to read. Not only did we buy the book for her home, now we have to go buy some clay so we can make some “claymates” animals ourselves.

 

 

We returned home and I read How to Read a Book by Kwame Alexander, with art by Melissa Sweet, who dazzled us with her beautifully-created pages. It’s a touching poem Kwame wrote for his daughter; it’s neon pink and “clementine”-colored and makes you want to find a tree to sit under so you can read the rest of the day. There are so many surprises in this book — it’s so much fun to read, again and again! Don’t forget to discover the Author and Illustrator Notes and that back jacket flap with the biographies (hint: those glasses!).

During the week, I’ll share Lita Judge’s newest, Homes in the Wild: Where Baby Animals and Their Parents Live, with “M”. It’s wonderful and “M” loves animals, so I’m sure she’ll love this book. Animals build shelters – some hidden, some underground, some in trees, etc. The descriptions are perfect for older readers of picture books (middle school and up), reminding the reader of well-known animals’ homes and introducing new animals, too. Lita’s illustrations are beautiful, and her words entertain and inform, making this one of the best picture books of the year so far (according to me).

 

After the little one goes home, I will finish Brave Face by Shaun David Hutchinson and begin the ARC of Ordinary Hazards by Nikki Grimes (due out October 8, 2019 from WordSong). I’m so happy that Kathy shared this ARC with me. I’ve been waiting a while to see it in person — I love everything my friend Nikki Grimes writes. The cover is brilliant! I am amazed that she wrote this memoir for us, and I have been following the news about this book for months. I already pre-ordered my copy, so I’ll get to savor it later, as well.

 

 

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It’s also a great chance to see what others are reading right now…you just might discover your next “must-read” book!

Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and I decided to give It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit – join us! We love this meme and think you will, too. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

 


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IMWAYR: I-Love-to-Read February

I’m still finishing my 2018 reading, as promised. On Saturday, I started Marshfield Memories: More Stories About Growing Up, by Ralph Fletcher. I love Ralph’s writing, and I’m happy to visit Marshfield again through his words.

February at school is Black History Month, and I spent the day preparing a display for my students. There are so many wonderful books to read!

When I got home, I tore open the package I received in the mail — my friend, Josh Funk has another book out in the world! It’s NOT Hansel and Gretel is almost as funny as when we all sat around and read it aloud at #NerdCampMI last year. It’s so beautiful, with glitter on the cover (provided by talented artist Edwardian Taylor)! Thanks for the continued fun, gentlemen.

 

 

 

 

 

I must go and read now. It’s Monday! What are YOU reading?

 

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It’s also a great chance to see what others are reading right now…you just might discover your next “must-read” book!

Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and Jen Vincent, at Teach Mentor Texts decided to give It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit – join us! We love this meme and think you will, too. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.


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IMWAYR: Albie Newton, by Josh Funk

This picture book in verse is from Josh Funk, one of our family’s favorite authors. Albie Newton is a boy genius-inventor-classmate who is always thinking and creating, much to the dismay of his peers. When Albie moves to a new school in the middle of the year, he wants to make new friends, so he spends his time inventing something amazing (instead of playing with the others).

Well, after Albie dumps the garbage can and steals the wheel from the hamster cage, the class notices that he’s tearing up the room. “But Albie didn’t notice all the problems he was causing. Focused on important things, he never thought of pausing.” When the kids form an “angry mob” to confront the pest, Shirley (a girl who sees Albie differently) comes to Albie’s defense.

Maybe it takes effort to make friends, and what IS acceptable effort? Albie’s actions may get him into trouble, but at the end of the day, do his actions lead to friendships? Read Albie Newton and find out. Make sure you look carefully at all the illustrations by Ester Garay, too. There are secrets, clues, and references to popular culture hidden throughout the book.

Josh Funk is a genius-rhymer-children’s-book author who knows what it’s like to focus on a task. Albie Newton is the sixth book (out of 9) for the author since 2015!

 

 


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NerdCampMI Lives Up to the Hype!

NerdCampBanner2016Last week I traveled to Parma, Michigan for my first Nerd Camp. Nerd Camp (#nErDcampMI) is an event sponsored by Colby Sharp and his amazing wife, Alaina, with the help of the Nerdy Book Club members. The two-day un-conference featuring authors, illustrators, and expert educators was awesome, and I’m still on Cloud 9! The main reason I signed up for Nerd Camp MI was to finally meet Josh Funk, author of Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast (and the upcoming Pirasaurs! and Dear Dragon). I used this wonderful picture book in my 6th grade classroom last year, and some of my students got to know Josh through email. The kids were thrilled that an author would actually write back to them, and in May he even joined our class for a Google hangout, which was the major talk of the sixth grade class! Thank you, Josh! JoshFunkandMe0711016

My Twitter friend, Kelly Vorhis, knew of a place to eat dinner the night before camp, but she didn’t tell me that the Olive Garden would be the meeting place for tons of Twitter friends I’ve followed for so long! I met Lesley Burnap face-to-face and she even gave me a handmade book necklace — she’s so talented. Thank you, Lesley! As I sat there, talking to author Jess Keating and her husband Justin, I started to feel like I was living in a fiction book. How could a teacher from Indiana sit with all of these famous people and feel so comfortable? I’m a book nerd. I fit in here. This was my “tribe.” I’m so glad they all let me in.

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Nerd Camp itself was full of surprises. I had no idea that I lived just a few miles away from Kathy Burnette, librarian-extraordinaire! She was an inspiring keynote speaker and all-around beautiful soul. I am so lucky to now call her “friend.” Other speakers included Raina Telgemeier, Donalyn Miller, Teri Lesesne, and Pernille Ripp, who also told inspiring stories (and made me cry!). Then…surprise! Kate DiCamillo came to speak to us! What a wonderful opening! I don’t know how Mr. Sharp pulled that one off. I’m still reeling!

I met Debbie Ridpath Ohi, author of Where Are My Books? — she was so nice to me! She offered me Mitzi Tulane cookies and conversation, which I loved. (The cookies were delicious, and the book is the cutest!) I spent time with some of my favorite lit-world friends, Donalyn, Katherine Sokolowski, and many others. I ate lunch with Gae Polisner and Nora Raleigh Baskin, authors of books about 9/11 that I will definitely use in my classroom this year. The fun did not end there! I saw Cardboard Schu in the lobby with the real John Schumacher (@mrschureads). I just had to get a picture. JohnSchuandCardboard071116DebbieOhiandMe071216

On Day 2, after adult learning sessions ended, the children came to Nerd Camp Jr. The evening was filled with mini-classes in writing for students of all ages. I signed up to help an author in a classroom, and I met Aimee Carter. Wow — She’s so cool! She told the kids about her book, Simon Thorn and the Wolf’s Den, and how she develops characters and plot in her series. Thank you for spending time with me, Aimee!

AimeeCartertalks071216Nerd Camp is over, but I still have so many ideas to mull over and books to read. My summer is going to fly by now, thanks to my nerdy friends. I will attend this event again — #nErDcampMI definitely lives up to the hype!


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Slice of Life Tuesdays: Thanking the Authors

Slice of Life Small LogoThank You to the authors! You made my first days of school the most exciting in years! Jeff Anderson, the shirt did the trick — just what I wanted for my mystery book talk. I’m so happy that I was persistent in asking for the T. I’m even happier that you shared with us! “Who is Zack Delacruz?” Come to room 138 to find out! Even the assistant principal and social worker stopped by to see what we were reading. I had a waitlist right away (I only had two copies at first) and the reviews coming in are “two thumbs up.”

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After Mr. Anderson’s generosity, I sent a message begging for the little pins for the debate: #teamladypancake or #teamsirfrenchtoast? The kids were buzzing the hallways, asking their neighbors, “Which side are you on?” and “I hear Mrs. Sniadecki likes pancakes better.” Thank you, Josh Funk! We DID receive pins, and trading cards, and a note from the author himself. Autograph score! Mr. Funk even wrote response emails to two of my students who wrote to him after our visit to the computer lab to see the book trailer/song.

 

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Last but not least, I wrapped up another fabulous gift for the class — from Raina Telgemeier — thank you so much! We so enjoyed the black and white version of The Babysitter’s Club graphic novel. Another autographed book! Yes! That book was in the hands of a student 20 seconds after the book talk.

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I’m having such a fabulous time in reading class this year. We are so lucky to have sharing, generous, and funny (!) authors to help students, in middle school, no less, find the time to read. This post is dedicated to you.