It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!
It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme started by Sheila at Book Journeys and now 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 the next “must-read” book!
Kellee and Jen, of 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 support the blogging community by visiting at least three of the other book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.
CONGRATULATIONS
Nicole L.
for winning a copy of A Boy Called Bat!
&
CONGRATULATIONS
Regan
for winning a copy of Mapping My Day!
Last Week’s Posts
**Click on any picture/link to view the post**
Tuesday: Ten Reason Kellee Loves Teaching Middle School
Wednesday: Stand Up and Sing!: Pete Seeger, Folk Music, and the Path to Justice by Susanna Reich
Thursday: Guest Review: Five Little Ducks by Denise Fleming
Last Week’s Journeys
Kellee
These upcoming picture books are all must buys!
The Fog by Kyo Maclear is about beating something by putting your mind to it and collaborating and also about the environment. It is a beautifully illustrated picture book that will definitely start thoughtful and much-needed discussions.
A Squiggly Story by Andrew Larsen is a perfect read aloud for an early elementary school before starting creative writing because it shows that writing is something anyone can do and is just a form of expression with no boundaries. I cannot wait to read this to Trent and write a story together afterwards, and I know many of you will feel that way with your kids/students.
Ashley Spire has a way of writing stories that makes you have even more faith in kids that you did before reading them. The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do is not exception. Lou loves to do so many things, but when she is faced with something she doesn’t think she can do, she hesitates. Until she realizes that she can do whatever she puts her mind to!
Hair-pocalypse by Geoff Herbach has much of the same humor that his YA books have! It starts out as a silly book about Aidan’s crazy hair and ends up being a book about thinking of others and compromise. This’ll definitely be a favorite read aloud!
Gennifer Choldenko and Dan Santat are a winning combination! This story shows that fear is something that anyone can face and parents are there to support you when you need them. I worry a bit about some of the “boys can’t be scared” and “don’t tell mom” parts, but the message in the end is positive.
Tinyville Town, just in this week, has become a favorite of mine and Trent’s. I love how it highlights all the different kind of jobs there are in a town, how each is special, and what the jobs entail. Gets to Work talks a bit about how city planning works then each of the other books focuses on a different profession. Trent LOVES the firefighter one, and he reads it to himself before bed almost every night!
Every time I read graphic novels, it reminds me why I love them so much! The visuals just a whole new element to the story for me!
Super Narwhal and Jelly Jolt is the second Narwhal book and is just as good as the first book! I just have a soft spot for these two who just perfectly fit together as friends. Narwhal and Jelly are the perfect ladder up from Elephant & Piggy, Bird & Squirrel, or other fun duos.
Star Scouts is a fun sci-fi story about finding your place even if that place at first feels like it is in the middle of misfits. Avani ends up being accidentally abducted by a Star Scout, an alien equivalent of our Scouts, and finds a place in their troop. I loved that Avani is so relatable! She speaks Hindi, loves rodeo, and is a bit testy–a perfect mix to make an authentic middle schooler. All of her Star Scouts friends are different also, so even though they are aliens, many readers will relate to one of them. One of my students already checked it out for Spring Break, and I know he will love it!
Real Friends is Shannon Hale’s graphic novel memoir about her time in elementary school and the drama of finding true friends while trying to find her own identity and family drama also. Like Sunny Side Up and Smile & Sisters, many readers will find Shannon’s story interesting and relatable, and Pham’s illustrations make it even more appealing.
Lastly, I finished two wonderful yet very different novels. However, the are more alike than they seem. Glory Be is about Freedom Summer and Glory learning about the prejudice in the world while realizing that she need to stand up for what she believes. Bot Wars takes place in the future after robots have been segregated because of the fear of them taking over, but Trout, the protagonist, soon learns that the government have spread negative propaganda to meet their needs.
Ricki
As Kellee said, the Tinyville Town books are awesome! Henry fell in love with them. He points to all of the characters in the book and reminds me which board books we have and which board books we don’t have. This book has inspired a lot of conversations about jobs. It would be fun to have kids create their own books based on their town!
This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee
Spring Break Reading Goal:
It’s a pretty hefty goal, but I have had some really good reading weeks later, so I thought it might be doable. Jim and I are going on a mini anniversary vacation though, so we’ll see!
The Books: I loved Bot Wars, so I knew I wanted to read #2. Same with Loot, so I have Sting on my Kindle. Infinity (Chronicles of Nick) and Legend are books that students really want me to read. March is on my #mustreadin2017 list, and Frenzy is our March book club book. I also hope to read some picture books and graphic novels that I’ve been lucky enough to get from publishers. *fingers crossed!*
Ricki
My dissertation is due in NINE days to my advisor. I have about 70 pages left to write. I am so sorry I have been off the grid. I can’t apologize enough. 🙁 Writing a dissertation with a three-year-old and five-month-old means very, very little sleep, so I haven’t been a great blogger.
Upcoming Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Ten Short Novels that Pack a Punch
Wednesday: Review and Giveaway!: Brobarians by Lindsay Ward
Thursday: Review, Giveaway, and Author Guest Post!: I Am (Not) Scared by Anna Kang
Friday: Paint Me a Picture & Tell Me a Story by Emily Bannister
Sunday: Author Guest Post
So, what are you reading?
Link up below and go check out what everyone else is reading. Please support other bloggers by viewing and commenting on at least 3 other blogs. If you tweet about your Monday post, tag the tweet with #IMWAYR!
and
Wow, both of you have been busy. The Tiny Town books look fun, will share with my neighbor with a two-year-old. Love all those new books you shared, Kellee, and best wishes in these final days, Ricki!
Hair-pocalypse is one I have to check out! Sounds like a real kid-pleaser. I am going to get to Real Friends this week. It sounds like one many of my students will like. Good luck with your dissertation! I remember those days all too well and I don’t envy you!
oh I’m so glad I found your blog girls. 🙂 I LOVE IT. I requested Hair-pocalypse and he Thing Lou Couldn’t Do so hopefully we can chat about these books soon 🙂
Kellee, Legend has been in my TBR for a WHILE now so looking forward to your review 🙂
Ricki, good luck with your dissertation!
Those Tinyville books sound great! I bet my boys would’ve liked them, too. Reading your description, I am reminded just a bit of Richard Scarry’s books, with so many details in the pictures and whole towns depicted. My kids LOVED those!
Glory Be was wonderful – I just finished Making Friends with Billy Wong.
Real Friends sounds excellent – you reminded me I haven;t read a graphic novel in a while.
Ricki – No need to apologize!! I think being a parent to two little kids & finishing your dissertation come first, before blogging. No worries. besides, Kellee does a good job of holding down the fort for you – you are lucky to have each other! Good luck with your final sprint to the finish line!
Enjoy your books this week –
Sue
Book By Book
Forgot to put this in the post: I apologize for not commenting today or last week. Last week my yearbook was due (ah!) and today I’m on a mini vacation with the hubby. I will catch up with all your blogs next week 🙂 Have a great week, and happy reading!
Wow! NINE DAYS??!! Good luck, Ricki! It’s perfectly understandable that you haven’t been blogging as much. I stopped blogging completely the semester my master’s project was due so I totally get it.
Glory Be is an awesome historical fiction novel that has been popular in my classroom. Glad you enjoyed it, also. The picture books you have look like they’re going to be lots of fun. Can’t wait to read them.
Good morning! Looking forward to hearing more about Brobarians, I enjoy Lindsey’s books 🙂
So many great books I am seeing here! Such fun!