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**
Wednesday: Scanorama Series (Amazing Animals, Dinosaurs, & Deadly Predators) by Anna Claybourne
Thursday: Guest Review: The Misadventures of Max Crumbly: Locket Hero by Rachel Renee Russell
Friday: The Curious Case of the Missing Mammoth by Ellie Hattie
Sunday: Interview with Kim Harrington, Author of the Gamer Squad Series
Last Week’s Journeys
Kellee
Well, after last week’s book sharing extravaganza, I don’t have as much to share this week. I went back to work for a four day week last week and preplanning (thus normal) starts today. Alas, that means no more reading until 2am and sleeping until 10am, but I do hope to keep my habit of reading every day.
- Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry – A friend of mine (and a mom of a past student) was an early reader for this book, and she highly recommended it to me, so I was so glad when it was my turn to read it from the library. I am a sucker for multi-voiced texts and novels-in-verse, so the format alone was meant for me. I also adored watching Callie learning to be herself and standing up for herself and finally BEING instead of hiding. I am so glad this book was recommended to me–thank you, Peggy!
- Guardians of the Gryphon’s Claw by Todd Calgi Gallicano – WHOA! When I was contacted to review this book for UR, I loved the summary, but I hadn’t heard anything about it. I look forward to being someone who spreads the word about this awesome book that so many of your students are going to love. I look forward to reviewing it soon.
- Georgia Rules by Nanci Turner Steveson – Michele has been bugging me to read Steveson’s books since that summer I believe, and this week when I was having an indecisive reading moment, I got it from the library, and I am so glad I did. I will tell you that there is a character in this book that I just REALLY DIDN’T LIKE but that also shows how much I did care for Maggie. This is a story I look forward to book talking because many kids will want to know how Maggie deals with leaving her home and friends and getting to know more about her father. (Although I still believe that this beautiful cover won’t suck in the readers this book deserves!)
Ricki
I’m BACK! Our family had a wonderful trip across the country. Who knew that a 3-year-old and 9-month-old would tolerate 42 hours in the car with minimal complaining? Unfortunately, I didn’t get a lot of reading done in that time frame and my brain is a bit fuzzy about what I DID read. I do know that Henry and I read this picture book today that we enjoyed:
Morris Mole by Dan Yaccarino is a charming story of a mole who decides to do things differently. He digs up. Henry has made me read this book every night for the past few weeks. He loves it. The pictures pop, and the story is enjoyable (even after a dozen reads).
This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee
- Currently listening to The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson – I know many of you loved this book and series, but I am struggling. I am hoping driving every day is going to help me love it. It is on our state list, so I want to finish it to be able to chat to students about it.
- Currently reading Miles Morales by Jason Reynolds – Marvel and Jason Reynolds?!?!?!? YES!
- Coming up: Finding Perfect by Elly Schwartz – This one has come highly recommended by many of my friends on Twitter, and I just got my reserved copy of it from the library.
- Coming up: Giant Pumpkin Suite by Melanie Heuiser Hill – I look forward to reading and reviewing this one for UR.
- Impatiently waiting for Unsouled by Neal Shusterman – I’m next on the hold for this one! (I own the book, but it is at school, and I like reading ebooks better *shhhhh!*)
- Hope to get to Stealing Our Way Home by Cecelia Galante – I loved Summer of May by Galante and this one has come highly recommended by Michele, so I look forward to it.
Ricki
One of my smart, thoughtful colleagues (Pam Coke) recommended this book, The Genius Hour Guidebook. Genius Hour is a time for students (of all ages) to explore their passions. I am going to be using Genius Hour in my Methods course next semester because Pam has had great success with it in the past. I’ve only read the first chapter, but I am very, very excited about it! I’ll be posting about how it goes!
Upcoming Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Unbelievable Moments in Books [Spoilers!] from Courtney and Yasmine, 8th grade
Wednesday: The Girl Who Ran: Bobbi Gibb, The First Woman to Run the Boston Marathon by Frances Poletti & Kristina Yee
Thursday: Picture Books 10 for 10
Friday: Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
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!
The Pumpkin Suite is in my stack to read. Morris Mole looks like a nice read. I still haven’t read Finding Perfect, but I recently read Elly’s book Smart Cookie and I enjoyed it. Happy reading week!
Everyone is raving about Elly Schwartz, so I look forward to being introduced to her 🙂
It is very charming.
Finding Perfect is one of my favorite books. I can’t wait to get my hands on Smart Cookie.
I cannot wait to read it!
Morris Mole is one I haven’t heard about, and glad you happily survived that long trip, Ricki! The school where I worked had “genius hour” all the time. Personal choice is very motivating! I did like the Jaleigh Johnson series, Kellee, and look forward to Miles Morales. Have a great week!
Miles Morales is setting up to be awesome–I look forward to reading more of it tonight.
I love it, Linda! I am so excited to use it in my class!
Aw, thanks for that multiple shout outs! I hope you love Stealing Home 🙂
I have Pumpkin Suite, but I have so many books to read in front of it. I’ll be interested in hearing what you have to say about it.
And major major love for Finding Perfect 🙂
I really want to get to Miles Morales. But again, so many books… It’s one I would like to read before going back to school.
Ricki, glad you made it to Colorado safely and had a good trip!
Well, you have been my recent reading recommender go to!
I’ll let you know what I think about Pumpkin and Miles 🙂 And I so look forward to Finding Perfect.
Thanks, Michele!
Congrats on a tolerable drive across the US!
I love it when books that weren’t on our radar become books we actually enjoy.
Isn’t that the best?! I love being surprised 🙂
Thank you, and I agree!
The cover style of Georgia Rules is becoming popular, but my students aren’t liking it. Stealing Home was sad but super interesting. Spent many car trips sitting between two car seats holding a container of Cheerios, so glad you survived!
Mine aren’t either, and it makes me so sad. I think there are going to be some awesome books ignored by kids because of covers.
There were absolutely a few moments like that…
Wow, Ricki! I’m impressed that your move went so smoothly with two little ones. 🙂
Kellee, I’m looking forward to reading your thoughts on Miles Morales. I think that will be my next read after I finish Solo.
Not far into Miles yet, but I am liking the set up. Complicated and deep and true.
Beth, I am equally impressed that the move went smoothly. Ha!
Ugh…I missed your big catch-up post. I kept it open in my browser window ALL WEEK and finally gave up last night! Really behind on everything this summer!
Kellee, Unsouled is SO good! We just loved the entire Unwind series – one of the best dystopian series EVER! Enjoy 🙂 Hard to believe it is time for you to get back to school already (though I am more than ready for my two to go back to college so I can recover from the summer!)
Ricki, welcome to your new home!!! We used to take 3-week long road trips cross-country with our sons every single summer, starting when they were 4 and 18 months. People thought we were crazy, but we loved it! Glad you had an uneventful trip – enjoy your new home & job!
Both of you enjoy your books this week –
Sue
2017 Big Book Summer Challenge
I understand! I never get as much done during the summer as I’d hoped. And I LOVED Unwind when I read it when it first came out, but I just never got to the others. So glad I am now. (And I hear you on the positives of summer ending as well as the negatives :D)
Wow! I am not sure I would do that voluntarily every summer. Haha. It was pretty expensive, and going in and out of hotel rooms each day was a bit difficult. It is definitely one of my most memorable vacations in my life, though!
Finding Perfect is a fabulous middle grade read. Smart Cookie is Elly Swartz’s newest book, and it’s awesome, too! Have a great week!
It seems that I am out of the loop because I didn’t read Smart Cookie. That one is popular this week!
Kellee, I have added Georgia Rules. It looks like your reading for this week is spectacular.
Ricki, I’m glad you survived the journey. I just put a hold on Morris Mole.