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.
Last Week’s Posts
**Click on any picture/link to view the post**
Tuesday: Ten Books Set Outside the United States
Wednesday: National Geographic Kids Ocean Animals: Who’s Who in the Deep Blue by Johnna Rizzo
Thursday: My Friend Maggie by Hannah E. Harrison
Friday: Review and Giveaway!: Journey Trilogy by Aaron Backer
GIVEAWAY open until Thursday!!
Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “Teaching Was a Lot More Than Following a Lesson Plan” by P. E. Yudkoff, Author of Packing Evil
Last Week’s Journeys
Kellee
I have had a reading-tastic two weeks! One of the things I love the most about vacations are the amount of reading time I get!
On the plane to DC, I was able to read these three chapter books, and I am looking forward to reviewing them this week 🙂
Once I was in DC, while Jim was at his conference, I went to Kramerbooks & Afterwords which is not only a very lovely independent book store, but it is a bar and restaurant as well. While there, I chatted with patrons and workers and read the above picture books. All ones that I had been looking forward to reading for a while. All of them were so good!
I loved to finally read the sequels of Red and The Day the Crayons Quit. They were both very different than the first ones. Almost more fun than philosophical, but both are definitely 5 star reads.
The Book with no Pictures and This is not a Picture Book would be perfect read aloud and discussion companions.
Both Flora and the Peacocks and The Night Gardener are so visually beautiful! While Thunder Boy, Jr. is so thought provoking.
Adam Rubin is quickly becoming a favorite silly picture book author, and Robo-Sauce and Secret Pizza Party are just as much fun as Dragons Love Tacos. Super Jumbo is another fun one to add to the list! All three have good messages also.
Finally, I had the guts to pick up The Thank You Book. The final Elephant & Piggie book. I am so sad that E&P are over. They are perfect picture books, and the finale was the perfect final book for them.
I also was able to read these 4 books while there. These were four very different books, but all good in their own right:
Jo Knowles’s Still a Work in Progress is a perfect addition to middle grade realistic fiction! I will definitely be reviewing this one further for you all.
Both Where are You Going Baby Lincoln? may be my favorite Deckawoo Drive books. Baby Lincoln has been a secondary character who hasn’t yet been able to share her voice; however, DiCamillo changes that with this book when she finally stands up to Eugenia and goes on a journey. A Necessary Journey.
Juana & Lucas is a early chapter book that takes place in Columbia and is a wonderful diverse addition.
Emma G Loves Boyz is going to be loved in my classroom library. It is a book written for my boy-obsessed middle school girls.
On the plane from DC to Orlando then the 10 hour drive to Baton Rouge (to visit my parents), I finished these four books. Wow. I don’t know if I could find four different books to read in less than 24 hours:
Lucy & Andy Neanderthal is an interesting new graphic novel by Jeffrey Brown, the author of Jedi Academy. It is a mix of humorous Neanderthal adventures with scientific facts about Neanderthals.
Risking Exposure is one that I cannot wait to review and share more about. It is an interesting and different look at Hitler Youth.
The Pirate Pig is another fun early chapter book with a, as the title suggests, a pirate pig. Julie, the pig, can find treasure and is in danger of being kidnapped by those that want to take advantage of her.
Through the Woods is a weirdly, creepy, odd yet beautiful horror, short story graphic novel anthology. Fans of Scary Stories will enjoy these.
While we were in Baton Rouge, we couldn’t bring all of Trent’s books (and for some reason he has not wanted to read the ones he did decide to bring), so thankfully iPads have some really great book apps. Trent loves The Monster at the End of this Book and Another Monster at the End of This Book apps (they are interactive and Grover/Grover & Elmo read to you) and the Disney book apes (Storytime & Story Central).
In Baton Rouge, I had a lot less time to read as we were quite busy and Trent was clinging to me like a marsupial (that is what I get for going away fro 5 days), so I only finished The Summer I Saved the World…in 65 Days is our faculty book club’s second summer selection, and it is a perfect summer read! I love the message of good winning in the end! This book will be a great read for middle schoolers, especially those trying to fit in or deciding how to proceed as a teenager.
Ricki
My husband is preparing the house for the new baby this week (bolting furniture, painting, etc.). So I am whisking the toddler away with relatives and won’t have internet access this Sunday or Monday. I hope to have some good updates for you!
This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee
I brought a huge bag of books with me to Baton Rouge to read, and since I didn’t get to any of them, I am going to choose one from there.
I did start Be Light Like a Bird which is a book of grief. I hope it gets happier or at least has some closure because it is super sad and a mess right now.
Ricki
On a positive note, Henry and I have reached Chapter Six of The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. I am in utter disbelief that he is allowing me to read a chapter book to him each night and am crossing my fingers that we can make it until the end! I’d appreciate any suggestions of similar chapter books (a couple of pictures here and there and consistently short, 4-5 page chapters). I would love to keep the chapter book trend going after we finish this one! I am hoping for a book that isn’t an early/easy reader but is similar to The Tale of Despereaux.
Upcoming Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Ten Things Books Have Made Us Want To Learn More About
Wednesday: Blog Tour with Review and Giveaway!: Coyote Moon by Maria Gianferrari
Thursday: The Dino Files: A Mysterious Egg by Stacy McAnulty
Friday: Bea Garcia: My Life in Pictures by Deborah Zemke
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! What a fun week!I LOVE going to book stores to read new picture books too!
It was wonderful! I loved being able to support an independent book store also 🙂
Love the muarsupial description! Just last week I was discussing with my younger daughter the fact that she was a “velcro monkey” as a child, which once ended in a very weird and painful sunburn when we spent an afternoon at the pool and she refused to leave my lap. There may have been a song about “crispy burning thigh flesh”. Now she’s off to college, and I’m discouraged from even going shopping at Target with her! That’s okay– more time to read!
Sounds about right 😉 I am loving every moment although I can definitely see an odd sunburn happening 😀
Wow, lots of great books shared today. Traveling with nothing to do but read is wonderful! Thanks for the titles new to me, but have read a few of these. My middle schoolers loved that creepy Through The Woods, Kellee. Have a great week visiting!
Thank you, Linda 🙂 Hope you found some titles you want to read 🙂
I’m really looking forward to reading Still a Work in Progress. Cindy was telling me about it when she was here for nErDcamp and it sounds hysterical.
It is funny, but it also hits on a very hard topic like all of Jo’s books do. Definitely a must read.
Kellee – so much reading! I can just imagine you in that bookstore with all of those wonderful picture books! Ricki, I hadn’t realized another little one was joining your family so soon! Another suggestion for a chapter book I would make if you are reading The Tale of Despereaux would be The Prince of the Pond by Donna Jo Napoli. It was one of the first chapter books I read to my children along with lots of Roald Dahl!
I loved it! 🙂 It was so nice just to spend time with the books 🙂
Thank you for this awesome suggestion! I have added it to the list. I appreciate it!!!
My boss was just raving about Life with Pictures. I should check it out. Have a great week- reading or preparing for new baby!
It is a really good early chapter book that will be loved by fans of Bink and Gollie 🙂
Kellee – you did get a lot read! Glad you had a great time with family. See you in a couple of weeks!
Ricki – Happy getting things done around the house! It’s always a nice feeling getting a new project done. I hadn’t realized you were expecting #2 until I was talking with Kellee last month. Congrats to you!
See you soon!
Thank you so much, Michele!
WOW, Kellee – that’s a LOT of books!! I don’t read many picture books these days but would love to see Thunder Boy, Jr – I’ve heard so many good things about it, including a wonderful interview with the author & illustrator on either NYTBR podcast or one of the NPR podcasts.
And you can read in the car?? Lucky you! I can browse through a magazine if I’m in the front seat, but real reading makes me sick. It gives me an excuse to enjoy magazines on roadtrips because I never have time for them otherwise!
Ricki – so glad that Tale of Despereaux is going so well! I can’t believe he’s sitting still for chapter books already! Wow! Like I said last week, our boys loved The Mouse and the Motorcycle – might be too long for now, though.
Enjoy your books this week –
Sue
2016 Big Book Summer Challenge
You should just go to a bookstore and read some great picture books. It makes your heart feel full 🙂
I used to not be able to read in the car, but I tried this time, and I could! It was wonderful! And I could read in the front or the back!! 🙂
I am definitely planning to check out The Mouse and the Motorcycle. I have it written down from last week and am so excited!
Wow Kellee! That was a ton of great books. Yay for vacation reading time. 🙂
Ricki – I didn’t realize you were expecting another young reader to join your family. Happy times. I think I started with Charlotte’s Web with my children. Maybe Toys Go Out.