Adventures to School

by Miranda Paul, Baptiste Paul, Isabel Muñoz (Illustrator)

Little Bee Books has acquired world rights to Miranda Paul and Baptiste Paul's co-authored picture book, Adventures to School, inspired by children in 14 countries who make extraordinary treks to get an education. Isabel Munoz will illustrate; the book is slated for summer 2018.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, School, Childrens, Transport, Back To School, Cultural

Hardcover

Published January 1, 2018

About the author

Miranda Paul has worked as a teacher, volunteer zookeeper, and freelance writer--among other things. She is passionate about creating stories for young readers that inspire, entertain, and broaden horizons. Miranda is also a thrill-seeker, and one of her bravest moments involved reciting poetry from inside a crocodile pit. (Yikes!)

In addition to being a picture book author, Miranda is a team member of We Need Diverse Books™ and a volunteer for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Learn more at www.mirandapaul.com.

Reviews

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kids love these social studies kinds of books about how children across the world live differently. They are astounded by the idea of children in a war zone (Ukraine in this book) can walk to school, and by climbs down sheer cliffs, and wire bridges, teleferico and subway rides). This books only flaw is that the sidebars often don’t offer any further explanation of why the children face the journey depicted, but instead offer unrelated facts about the country. So, 4 stars instead of 5. Still recommended.

[Michele Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating look at different transportations around the world and the reasons for them, but they all have the same end goal - get kids to school!

[Jarm Boccio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This is one informative and fascinating picture book- and not because Miranda Paul is an author friend of mine. It certainly makes me appreciate my education! Children in large cities and developed countries have no idea how determined students around the world take a difficult journey to school. Well, after reading this stellar book, they will know. And it will definitely spark discussion in the classroom. Delightful illustrations and informative sidebars make this one well-researched picture book a reading must!

[Kirsti Call · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. My 7 year old was mesmerized by the stories, the carefully chosen facts, and the idea of kids around the world going to school, just like he does, but getting there very differently. The book evoked discussion and gave us a space to really discuss what life is like in other countries.

The illustrations are lovely, and only enhance this beautiful book.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty neat story about kids around the world going to school. Each spread includes a side bar about the country and features their national flag.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The unique and surprising ways kids around the world get to school. More information specific to the schools is needed.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This delightful recent picture book uses convincing first-person-voiced young locals describing their trips to school under challenging circumstances, combined with informative illustrations and narrative text to reveal daily school-travel in areas around the world. The balance of voices/perspectives is effective in connecting and developing empathy as well as curiosity and respect. Expository sidebars include images of each country's flag, an iconic indigenous animal, and up-to-date facts about the featured country as a whole.
Author notes in front- and back-matter are helpful in recognizing the universal importance of education and the extent to which families value and support learning and progress for their children. Notes about research and authenticating sources are especially valuable, including cautions about (often viral) online videos making claims about places and people that are no longer true or perhaps never were.
I particularly appreciated the range of locations across many continents (including North America) and the album-like double page spread at the back to assemble images and place-designations for the fictionalized characters within the book. The one feature I would have enjoyed would be a world map marking and labeling each character to a location. I can easily see this book being used to launch a geography/map unit of study, for a classroom or for individual readers and families.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've noticed a newer trend in children's non fiction - showing how kids from various countries live. Some highlight just one thing as with Adventures to School and
Throw Your Tooth on the Roof by Selby Beeler; Brian Karas
Around the World in a Bathtub by Wade Bradford; Micha Archer

Others try to show the breadth of a child's daily life such as with
Children Just Like Me by Barnbas and Anabel Kindersley, a UNICEF Book
and my personal favorite
This Is How We Do It by Matt Lamothe.

They are such a welcome addition to a library's children's dept. and I recommend them to teachers all the time. They are instructional for cultural and social studies. Some include various languages (like showing the children's name written in their hand). The ones with actual photos make no attempt to 'sanitize' either the environment or the children (i.e. clothing is what it is) such as Children Just Like Me.

My only wish would be that all future such books would include maps that show where the children live in the world. Kinderley and Lamothe both do a good job of adding that geographical element. But the Paul, Beeler and Bradford books do not. It was an issue especially with Adventures to School that discussed so many various places that were all, for the most part, obscure and required some work on Google Earth to locate.

[Maria Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

In addition to exploring thirteen amazing journeys that kids take to attend school, the book includes a nonfiction side section on each country which shows the country's flag, a representative animal or plant, and interesting details. These sections are full of such tantalizing tidbits, they are sure to encourage further investigation into the differences and similarities of countries around the world.
The first-person narratives are fictionalized composites, based upon the experiences of one or more children in each area. While they avoid, in both the text and illustrations, being overly graphic, they do not pull punches or tone down the experiences of these children. It is humbling to read of the six-hour boat ride across a sea, a three-hour walk through the mountains, and climbing down steep ladders perched against cliff faces. The illustrations beautifully capture the differences in the colors and textures of the environments and cultures of these various countries.
Almost as important as providing us a glimpse into the lives of others, the Paul's include an important note to the reader that "not all of what we read on the internet is complete or up-to-date, and we should always look for multiple sources when doing research." Overall a wonderful book for learning how other kids get to school, open discussions about the diversity of life's experiences, and an excellent jumping off point to begin research about other countries.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

In some homes if you, as a child, dare to complain about having to go to school, you receive the mantra of having one or both parents relating their trials in getting to school as a child. It seems they had to walk miles through extreme weather conditions or over extreme terrain or arrived at their destination by enduring extreme modes of transportation. This is meant to remind you of how trivial your objections are in light of their difficulties. It is also a suggestion to be more grateful for the opportunities to be enjoyed each day in your classrooms.

While some of the adults' stories about getting to school are certainly exaggerated; others have a ring of truth. Adventures To School: Real-Life Journeys Of Students From Around The World (Little Bee Books, May 1, 2018) written by Baptiste Paul and Miranda Paul with illustrations by Isabel Munoz brings to light documented cases of students taking risks and enduring unusual circumstances to get an education. In learning about their stories we gain a greater understanding of the countries in which they take place.


My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...

[Ms. Jaimes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad Melissa Stewart at celebratescience.blogspot.com called my attention to Adventures to School: Real-Life Journeys of Students from Around the World. I learned so much from this book about the fascinating ways kids the world over travel to school and I look forward to sharing it with my students for our #SibertSmackdown.

Some of the stories included astounded me: over 3,000 students a day ride the teleferico (tram) at over 13,000 feet in altitude from El Alto to La Paz, Bolivia! Others touched me, like the methods the Japanese community has for taking care of its children: kids raise their arms to cross busy streets, "Cute kid crossing here." And the little yellow flags kids wear to alert adults to help them if they get lost.

This level of specific detail in the narrative, the sidebars with additional facts, the icons representing a significant symbol of the county and its flag--all of these combined made me wonder at the beauty and diversity of human ingenuity and determination.

[Patti Ranson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adventures to School: Real-Life Journeys of Students from Around the World written by Miranda and Baptiste Paul and illustrated by Isabel Muñoz reaches beyond the borders of North America to include fifteen regions from around the world, showing how students get to themselves to school. While providing the reader with cultural tidbits, it presents the unconventional methods that some children use on a daily basis in order to arrive at school.
The presentation of each region demonstrates that education is highly valued and the methods used to get that are just part of the daily process. This book also spells out the need for the young reader to double check their sources for updated information prior to believing everything they have read.
With engaging illustrations and appealing text, this an outstanding book to share within a classroom or any young person who is curious about their world.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shares real transportation methods children around the world use to get to school. Each spread identifies the location and shares a sidebar with more information about that place.

I wish all of the sidebars shared a little more information about the schooling situations or transportation methods for each of these kids. What is provided is good, but I just wanted a little more. It does do a good job of sharing a vast array of transportation methods kids around the world use to get to school. And readers will learn a little more about each place. I like that the authors shared all the experts on the areas highlighted they consulted for this book and they clarified the time period being explored since transportation methods can vary with the seasons. The illustrations are attractive too. Recommended for those transportation fanatics, curious kids, those curious to see how important education is to some kids, and those studying different cultures.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids around the world get to school in unique ways. Take a peek inside this book and see how they reach their destinations!

Children all around the world go to school. Whether they're from Japan, Ukraine, Ethiopia, or the United States, all students have the desire to learn about the world and shape the future. In Bhutan, children walk for three hours to make it to school, and in Pakistan, children travel by rickshaw. Some children in China must climb a heaven ladder, while children in Nepal must walk over a wire bridge. The treks of these students are unique, extraordinary, and even dangerous, and they signify the common determination, perseverance, and sense of adventure shared by young people around the world.

Read along as students from thirteen different nations embark on their journeys to get to school in the morning, and learn about the diverse landscapes and cultures of these countries along the way!

[Amy Oberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This nonfiction picture book is not necessarily a title to be read-aloud from cover-to-cover, but rather enjoyed or presented as a "book walk" or in "chunks" with intermediate audiences. Its fascinating presentation of students' unique challenges, journeys, and modes of transportation in reaching their respective schools is well-researched and guided by a multicultural approach. Its inclusion of concluding pages that discount exaggerated or outdated stories viral online was/is an unexpected "bonus," bound to spark engaging conversations and follow-up research. A *must-have title* for school and public libraries!

[Lauren S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting book. Not everyone realizes how lucky they may have it when it comes to having access to an education. Many of these students travel for hours to reach their school because they have the desire to work towards having a good future for themselves. I was amazed at some of the stories told in this book and, as a librarian loved the part at the ending that says to always fact check because some stories of children who once had long, hard journeys may no longer experience that due to a change in the way.

[Alicia Klepeis · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a geographer and former teacher, I thought this book was absolutely fantastic. Each country that was featured had a young person who was heading to school in a different way, as well as featuring some cool information about the country itself. Very rich bibliography -- looking forward to checking out some of the resources I found there in the future. Also, I really appreciated the section titled A Safer Adventure at the back of the book, showcasing updated info about certain locations around the globe. A must-read!

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This somewhat longer picture book is aimed towards elementary school students and discusses the incredible ways that some students get to school. Some students ride boats, or trains, or motorcycles. Some climb down ladders alongside steep cliffs, or wait for bombs to stop dropping.
The illustrations were wonderful too.
The kids enjoyed this book; which shows children in a variety of different countries and continents going to school.

[Eirajel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adventures to School is a engaging and inspiring book that shares what it is like for children around the world on their journey to attend school. Told from the child's point of view, the stories are based on the various experiences of children traveling by canoe, barefoot, and rope-ways on the way to school. Both my daughter and I read this book and were immediately amazed at the various and often seemingly dangerous ways children around the world take to get to school. My daughter has a completely new appreciation of our car ride to school and she can't wait to share this story with her class so that they hopefully will too.

[Mary Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic informational text with all kind of great text features, plus an author's note to remind readers that each representation is a conglomerate and does not represent every situation in every country. In addition, at the end of the book, there is information about smart use of the internet. (Many of these stories originated as videos online that the authors checked into and found to no longer be true.)

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dropping a star because I wanted to know more; in some of the stories, the author used unfamiliar words, but didn't give definitions (even at the end of the book), which I found frustrating. Some of it I could guess from the context but some of it, I had no idea. Thank goodness for Google!

Fascinating.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book and read through it wondering about all the ways children in other countries have as they go to schools outside their home neighborhood. The children want an education and to learn so badly and must go through a lot of long distance travel to get there. Children in the U.S. have much more access to the public schools here.

[Julia Crainshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stories of how 13 children from around the world get to school. Extra content at the end reminds us "that not all of what we read on the Internet is complete or up-to-date, and we should always look for multiple sources when doing research." The authors then give three examples related to the topic of the book.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every page is discussing a different country, and all the illustrations represent that fact. I feel that many children could find mirrors in this book, but I think this also is a valuable book to provide windows for children who do not know about some of these other countries. I even learned about some new places reading through this book.

[Angie Quantrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not everyone can easily get to school! Students will love learning about different ways school children around the world make the trek to get to school. Great beginning of the year activity; great cultural book for learning about children from other countries (all year long).

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look at how kids travel to school every day all over the world. I thoroughly enjoyed reading every detail, and the artwork beautifully illustrated these faraway places (as well as one that was in my own backyard! Yay, Minnesota!).

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated book that shows how children around the world go to school. Each spread tells the story of an imagined child in a particular location as well as factual information about that place. Would be a great book for a unit on various cultures.

[Maria Caplin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for learning about different cultures. Child’s point of view and traveling to school and a sidebar with NF information about the country/region.

[Kelly Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have so many questions -- I want chapters on each of these wonderful students because I want to know so much more about their journeys to school and their lives.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book about children around the world and the trials, challenges and dangers they are faced with to get to school. Very well presented and illustrated.