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
Leanne
for winning the giveaway for Flashlight Night!
Last Week’s Posts
**Click on any picture/link to view the post**
Tuesday: Ten Books that Feature Nontraditional Families
Thursday: All My Friends are Fast Asleep by David Weinstone
Friday: Review and Giveaway!: Listen: How Peter Seeger Got American Singing by Leda Shubert
Giveaway open until Thursday!!
Last Week’s Journeys
Kellee
- Felix Yz by Lisa Bunker is one of the most unique books I’ve ever read. Lisa took a very sci fi idea and wrote a diverse realistic fiction story. Felix was melded with a fourth dimensional being in a scientist accident that killed his father, and he now lives with *zyx in his brain who sometimes controls his body and can only communicate by typing. We also meet Felix’s family: his mom, his piano prodigy sister, and his gender fluid Grandy. This book is a chronicle of Felix’s secret blog and is the story of his life as he counts down the days to “the procedure” which may kill him trying to separate *zyx from him.
- Refugee by Alan Gratz is a book that I don’t even know how to tell you how much I loved it. It gives voices to those that the masses like to ignore, it tells stories form the inside that not often are released, it is in your face and makes it so refugees cannot be ignored, and it builds empathy for our fellow humans. All within a very well written trio of stories. I am hoping to read this with my classes or at least my book club. (And the audiobook was really well done. I think I may have liked it more than reading because of the different voices for each character.)
- Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan was exactly what I wanted it to be: fun! Julie is cast as a munchkin and her feeling of ordinary-ness is shot down, and she learns that everyone has a place and passion. I loved Julia’s voice–the stream of consciousness type narration was perfect! And the cast of characters in Julia’s story are all perfect–I love Mrs. Chang and her brother, Randy, specifically.
- Cucumber Quest: The Doughnut Kingdom by Gigi D.G. is going to be a new favorite in my classroom. It is the perfect combination of colorful illustrations, adventure, humor, and fantasy. I cannot wait for the rest of the series–I have to see how the quest concludes!
- Cosmic Commandos by Christopher Eliopoulos is also going to be a favorite! It is like Captain Underpants meets Big Nate in a graphic novel! I call that a win. I loved that in addition to an adventure, it also looks deeply into what it is like to be a twin.
- Brad Melzter’s Ordinary People Change the World series is one of my favorites, and I was so happy to be able to read these four newest ones. I highly recommend them all! It is so amazing to see how these different people in history have changed our world! And I also love that Melzter is writing stories of people like Gandhi, Sacagawea, and Jane Goodall who most kids would not learn about in their history classes.
- Hello Goodbye Dog by Maria Gianferrari does a wonderful thing–it normalizes therapy dogs! So often kids and even adults do not understand the need for a therapy dog if there isn’t physical disability, but Moose teaches us the power of dogs.
- Tyrannasaurus Rex vs. Edna, The First Chicken by Douglas Rees was laugh out loud funny! You’ll definitely root for Edna in this story! Though not plausible, it teaches the readers about dinosaurs relation to birds at the end.
Ricki
Hi, folks! I am unavailable to post today because my sister is flew out for the weekend to celebrate my younger son’s first birthday! I look forward to catching up with you next week!
This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee
A NEW ALEX RIDER!!! I CANNOT WAIT TO START IT!!!
As for an audiobook, I am not sure what I am going to listen to. I’m hoping my Little Monsters by Kara Thomas becomes available at my library soon!
Upcoming Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Ten Significant Others in Books
Wednesday: Blog Tour with Book Trailer and Review!: Zoo Scientists to the Rescue by Patricia Newman and Annie Crawley
Thursday: You’re All Kinds of Wonderful by Nancy Tillman
Friday: Author Guest Post!: “Teaching Kids Hope” by Carla Mooney, Author of Terrorism: Violence, Intimidation, and Solutions for Peace
Sunday: Author Guest Post and Giveaway!: “Inspiring Stories” by David Kelly, Author of Ballpark Mysteries
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!
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The Cucumber Quest sounds like a book I’ll have to check out. If students will love it then it sounds like one I need to have!
Oh, my fans of Rutabaga and Zita the Spacegirl are going to love it!
I’m glad you loved Refugee, Kellee. What a wonderful book that puts a voice to those who’ve fled their homes through parts of history. And Happy Birthday wishes to your son, Ricki, and have a fun visit with your sister!
Such an important book! And really well done!
I haven’t read the Alex Rider books but I’ve always had them in my classroom library. Glad to see a new book in the series!
I love Alex Rider! It is like James bond, but better!
Seriously?? Ricki’s youngest is turning one? How did that happen? It seems like she just went on maternity leave – where did the year go?
I can’t wait to read Refugee, Kellee, especially after your summary above! It’s on my audio backlog – focusing on thrillers and other creepy stuff right now!
Enjoy your books this week –
Sue
Book By Book
Yay, glad you enjoyed Hello, Goodbye Dog, Kellee! It’s a cute story but I loved the ending! I have Cosmic Commandos to read, one day I’ll get around to reading it….
Ricki, hope it was a great birthday weekend! First one in Colorado!
I really loved Short and am happy to see one of my students from last year happily reading it. Aren’t the characters just incredible?I just ordered Refugee and look forward to the experience of reading it soon. Hello to both of you – feel like we haven’t connected in a while. Wishing you both a happy beginning to fall!
Kellee, I really want to read Hello Goodbye Dog.
Ricki, I hope the celebrations are/were fun.
I’m in the middle of listening to Refugee. I agree completely with what you have said here.
I nominated Short for a Cybil.