It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!
It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. 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!
Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee 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.
Last Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Top Ten Books People Have Been Telling Us We Must Read
Friday: Trent & Kellee’s Favorite Picture Books, 3-6 Months
**Click on any picture/link to view the post**
Last Week’s Journeys
Kellee: As all teachers know, reading gets much harder once the school year starts, so my updates may be a bit less than they were during the summer. It is the way it is 🙂 This week I was able to finish two very good graphic novels from Netgalley: In Real Life by Cory Doctrow and I Remember Beirut by Zeina Abira. They are very, very different but both worth reading if you have the chance. IRL is a look at poverty, economics, and gaming while I Remember is a memoir of a young girl’s memories during the conflicts in Beirut. I absolutely adored the style of both illustrators as well as the stories. I also read Sam’s Pet Temper by Sangeeta Bhadra which is a great book to look at temper with kids as well as personification.
Trent and I read some really good books this week! I originally got The Troublemaker by Lauren Castillo for the Sharp/Schu book club. I’m going to have to go back and check out the archive now because it is a super cute mystery book. I can’t wait to read this with Trent where he can guess what is happening. The Hueys in the New Sweater by Oliver Jeffers is another very good Huey book. I like the messages in each one, and Oliver Jeffers is always a bit quirky. We saw this quirkiness and brilliance again in The Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers which is fighting Lost and Found to be my favorite Oliver Jeffers book. We also read a beautiful and creative ABC book called Antics! by Cathi Hepworth which had some intense words like jubilant, pantiloons, and xanthophile (all words with “ant” in it). Finally we read Wumbers by Amy Krouse Rosenthal which is so clever! A bunch of short stories (perfect jumping off points for creative writing!) with words that have numbers in them. What a 1derful idea! Though, I will admit, it was quite hard to read out loud.
Ricki: As I am gearing up for school, I made this week a nonfiction week. I finished Young Adult Literature in the 21st Century by Pam Cole. This text had a great overview of the origins of YAL and the genres within the field. I also read Be a Changemaker: How to Start Something that Matters by Laurie Ann Thompson. This is a wonderfully informative book that will help teens start businesses/organizations, run meetings, conduct speeches, and organize financial plans. It was extremely accessible and very well organized. Kellee and I are doing a full review of the book on September 10, and the author will be writing a guest post for us! Henry and I read I Face the Wind by Vicki Cobb. This nonfiction picture book helps kids explore science with interactive activities. We also enjoyed Jacqueline Woodson’s Coming on Home Soon. This would be a great book to read to children whose parent(s) are away.
This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee: Trent and I are still working through our pile of recommend picture books that we got from the library. As for me, I am not sure what I am going to read. I know I’ll read El Deafo by Cece Bell, as that is at the top of my TBR, but then I am not sure. We’ll see how this week goes! 🙂
Ricki: I picked up the audio book Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. I wasn’t expecting the heavy British accents, so I am hoping I am able to understand more as it plays. It is a struggle so far (but the story is great!). Kellee sent me a list of her favorite books. I am going to start those, too. She has great taste, after all!
Upcoming Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Top Ten Books We’ve Owned for a Long Time but Haven’t Read
Wednesday: How Being a Mom Has Changed My Identity (Kellee)
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
Kellee I love the pics of Trent with books. I am happy you are recording his journey into reading. Ricki, I am an audiobook fan too.
I love that he grabs books now, and seems to really enjoy me reading to him–it is the best! 🙂 Thank you for enjoying the journey with us.
🙂 Audiobooks are the best, Julee!
The Troublemaker is something I have yet to read. You’ve got me intrigued. I really enjoy hearing about what you two are reading to your boys! Such well read (to) babies!
It is a fun little book that will be quite interactive with a young ‘un 🙂
Thanks, Earl! We certainly try!
Wumbers sounds like a fun idea, Kellee, and Ricki, I will look for the ‘change maker’ book-our teachers of the older kids will like it. Busy times, I know!
It’s so cool! It is a clever idea that was so much fun!
I think you will certainly like it. Let me know if you read it! 🙂
I did not realize that Cory Doctorow had written a graphic novel. I loved Little Brother, so I can’t wait see what he does in a different format.
The teenagers in my Sunday School class are starting a study of modern day slavery. The Changemaker book sounds like a good book to go along with their study so they can learn to take action.
It comes out soon, Kay. I haven’t read Little Brother, but from the synopsis IRL is a bit different, but I think you will like it.
I agree–Changemaker sounds perfect for your Sunday School Class. I am going to start Changemaker this week as well–I look forward to it.
I loved Little Brother, as well!
As to the Changemaker book–it is fantastic, but I would definitely say it is more geared toward taking action by starting organizations and businesses. I could certainly see a social justice twist, as many of the examples in the book are groups of social action.
I can’t wait to read El Deafo. I loved the trailer for it and now I’m super excited to read it.
I really just need to start it. It is sitting on my ottoman taunting me.
I haven’t seen the trailer–I’ll have to watch it. Thank you!
Both graphic novels sound like books I will want to get along with El Deafo of course. It has been fun to read through the summer, but I know my reading will slow down as school is starting. Ricki thanks for the reminder to get a few non-fiction titles in too. 🙂
They are definitely books you’ll want to get. Both are very, very good.
We’re all there with you as the school year starts, so we understand 🙂
I certainly go heavy on the nonfiction some weeks rather than others! 🙂
Oh, I’ve been wanting to read Me Before You ever since it came out! It’s come up for vote several times in one of my book groups but some other book always wins out. I look forward to hearing what you think.
And, as you know, I read In Real Life, too, and enjoyed it. I am just starting to get into teen/YA graphic novels – previously, I’d only read ones for younger kids – and am really enjoying them.
Good luck to both of you with getting back to school – do you start this week? My sons do.
Sue
Book By Book
I’m so glad you are delving deeper into MG/YA graphic novels. They are my favorite, and I am glad that there are more and more. As you know, IRL is a great one. I’m glad you enjoyed it as well 🙂
Students started back last week. I’ve been in school since July 28th because of digital boot camp (we’re a digital curriculum 1:1 school).
Good luck to your sons this week!
I will definitely give you an honest review, as I always do! I am curious about how it pans out. I think I will like it and get used to the British accents. 🙂
Just when I think I’ve read all the Amy Krouse Rosenthals, I discover yet another new-to-me one! I love her books, so I’ll be on the lookout for Wumbers. I’m always on the lookout for new audiobooks for my commute (and on audio, I will actually listen to books for grown-ups too!), so I’ll see if I can get Me Before You. I’ve read several glowing reviews of it.
Me too! I saw Wumbers on another blog, and that is exactly the reaction I had. Amy Krouse Rosenthal is amazing!
Elisabeth, that is the reason I grabbed it. The reviews were so glowing! I will let you know what I think when I finish it!
Woot! to reading Be a Changemaker: How to Start Something that Matters – really enjoyed reading that one… Still can’t wait to read El Deafo… shall see when that happens. Happy reading week to you both! 🙂
I am starting Changemaker soon too. Glad to hear from you both that it is enjoyable 🙂
I need to pick up El Deafo–it is right there!
Debbie, it was certainly a treasure. It is hard to write an interesting informational nonfiction book that teens will enjoy, and I think the author was quite successful!
Kellee, I so get the going back to school reading thing! I had an hour of uninterrupted reading time on Saturday and I just sighed with relief! Teaching reading is getting in the way of reading 🙂 I can’t wait to see your post about becoming a mommy!
Ricki, yes, my book soulmate, you have to love Me Before You! Well, you don’t have to, but I hope you do! I can see how a British accent may throw things off a bit… I adored the writing in that book. Just loved it!
Have a great week ladies, 3 day weekend coming up!
Hurray for Oliver Jeffers! He has so many great titles. I adore Lauren Castillo’s illustrations. Can’t wait to read The Troublemaker. Ricki, I really liked Coming on Home Soon. A calm title yet full of so many emotions. Kellee – I am off to check out your post about favourite titles read with Trent.
Much of Jackie Woodson’s writing is calm yet with a strong, fiery pulse, isn’t it? 🙂