Any Day with You by
A warm, tender story about a creative girl who hopes that by winning a filmmaking contest, she'll convince her great-grandfather not to move back home to the Philippines. For fans of Erin Entrada Kelly and Kelly Yang. A warm, tender story about a creative girl who hopes that by winning a filmmaking contest, she'll convince her great-grandfather not to move back home to the Philippines. For fans of Erin Entrada Kelly and Kelly Yang. Kaia and her family live near the beach in California, where the fun of moviemaking is all around them. Kaia loves playing with makeup and creating special effects, turning her friends into merfolk and other magical creatures. This summer, Kaia and her friends are part of a creative arts camp, where they're working on a short movie to enter in a contest. The movie is inspired by the Filipino folktales that her beloved Tatang, her great-grandfather, tells. Tatang lives with her family and is like the sparkle of her special-effects makeup. When Tatang decides that it is time to return to his homeland in the Philippines, Kaia will do anything to convince him not to go.
The House That Lou Built by
A coming-of-age story that explores culture and family, forgiveness and friendship, and what makes a true home. Perfect for fans of Wendy Mass and Joan Bauer. Lou Bulosan-Nelson has the ultimate summer DIY project. She's going to build her own "tiny house," 100 square feet all her own. She shares a room with her mom in her grandmother's house, and longs for a place where she can escape her crazy but lovable extended Filipino family. Lou enjoys her woodshop class and creating projects, and she plans to build the house on land she inherited from her dad, who died before she was born. But then she finds out that the land may not be hers for much longer. Lou discovers it's not easy to save her land, or to build a house. But she won't give up; with the help of friends and relatives, her dream begins to take shape, and she learns the deeper meaning of home and family. "If this book were a house, the rooms would be filled with warmth, family, and friendship." --Erin Entrada Kelly, author of Hello, Universe; The Land of Forgotten Girls; and Blackbird Fly "Warm, funny and affirming. As we get to know Lou, her extended Filipino family, and friends, the door opens into her life and, ultimately, her home." --Lisa Yee, author of the Millicent Min trilogy, The Kidney Hypothetical, the DC Super Hero Girls series, and other books "There couldn't be a hero more determined, resourceful or lovable than Lucinda Bulosan-Nelson. Her big dream of a tiny house is irresistible." --Tricia Springstubb, author of Every Single Second, What Happened on Fox Street, Moonpenny Island, and the Cody series
In typical years the KRARI kick-off would be held at the RI State House. While we won't be together in person at the State House this year, there are virtual options for exploring the State House with students.
For more information about the State House and additional learning opportunities from the Department of State, contact Lane Sparkman, Associate Director of Education and Public Programs.
Public libraries throughout the state are invited to celebrate the 2022 KRARI selection How to Win a Slime War with a sticky competition. Pick the best slime to represent your library and see how it stacks up to slime from kids around the state.
How to participate:
Judging:
Slime entries will be judged by . Slime will be evaluated for consistency, texture, and color. The winner will be announced on July 27.
Selecting your library's entry:
Libraries can select their entry in any way that works best. Selection methods may include:
Explore the rest of this guide for slimy ideas, including slime clean-up!
Kick off Kids Reading Across RI 2022 with a live, virtual discussion with How to Win a Slime War author Mae Respicio. Schools, public libraries, homeschoolers, and children's literature lovers are invited to celebrate the award winning author behind this year's joyful, honest, and heartfelt selection.
This is a quick writing exercise in descriptive writing. You’ll need the slime you just made, and some paper and a pencil to write with. Happy sliming and writing!
How to Win a Slime War
Alex Manalo and his dad have just moved back to Sacramento to help out with their extended family's struggling Filipino market. While Alex likes helping in the store, his true passion is making slime! He comes up with his own recipes and plays with ingredients, colors, and different bumpy or sparkly bits, which make his slime truly special. A new friend encourages Alex to sell his creations at school, which leads to a sell-off battle with a girl who previously had a slime-opoly. Winner gets bragging rights and the right to be the only slime game in town.
But Alex's dad thinks Alex should be focused more on "traditional" boy pastimes and less on slime. As the new soccer coach, Dad gets Alex to join the team. Even though he hates sports, Alex gives in.
Alex is battling on multiple fronts--with his new friends at school, and with his dad at home. It will be a sticky race to the finish to see who oozes out on top.
Mae Respicio
Mae is author of the middle grade novels The House That Lou Built, Any Day With You, and How to Win a Slime War (out September 2021). She is the past recipient of a PEN Emerging Voices Fellowship and has been a writer-in-residence at Hedgebrook and the Atlantic Center for the Arts. Her writing & photography has been featured in many publications including Pregnancy Magazine, Working Mother Magazine, Patagonia, Pottery Barn Kids, Red Tricycle and The Bigger the Better the Tighter the Sweater: 21 Funny Women on Beauty, Body Image, and Other Hazards of Being Female (Seal Press), and she worked with the Filipino-American community of Los Angeles to edit the nonfiction book Images of America: Filipinos in Los Angeles (Arcadia Publishing). For many years Mae also worked at the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program, developing, implementing, and overseeing top notch literary events, creative and screenwriting courses, and helping to build a thriving literary community. Mae lives with her family in the suburban wild of Northern California.