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: Top Ten Favorite Books to Read with my Mom from Sarah H., 8th grade
Thursday: Review and Giveaway!: It’s Not Jack and the Beanstalk by Josh Funk
**Giveaway open until Wednesday!**
Last Week’s Journeys
Kellee
Thank you all so much for your kind words regarding Hurricane Irma! We lost some fence and power for a bit, but overall we were so lucky versus others who are still dealing with no power, flooding, or damaged homes. They are in my thoughts! We’ve been out of school all week, so one plus is that I had extra time with Trent and books!
I don’t often get to go be class mom at Trent’s school, but this week, I went in to not only to spend some time with them, but I also got to release his class’s butterflies and read his class a book (Hand, Hand, Finger Thumb by Al Perkins)!!!
The other picture books I read this week was Nothing Rhymes with Orange by Adam Rex which is so funny and creative yet has such a great theme underneath the silliness.
Middle Grade
- Wishtree by Katherine Applegate is all I wanted it to be! Katherine has such a way of writing a story that seems like one thing on the surface but is so much deeper in the end.
- Stealing Our Way Home by Cecelia Galante was recommended to me by Michele, and I can definitely see why she is recommending it. It is about climbing back up from the bottom as a family.
- I really liked The Terrible Two Get Worse by Mac Barnett! I think the first of the series was setting up for this story which I felt had more heart and story than the first.
- The Girl in the Well is Me by Karen Rivers is on our state list (SSYRA) and is one of my students’ favorites so far.
Young Adult
- I am so sad yet happy to finally be done with the Unwind Dystology by Neal Shusterman. It was such a PERFECT ending, and I loved the entire experience!
- The Border by Steve Schafer is a must read book. It shows the humanity and hardship behind immigration. Steve Schafer said this on Twitter, and I agree: “I loved how THUG turned an issue into an individual’s battle. It made the emotion & nuance shine. The Border tries the same for immigration.”
- Everyone We’ve Been by Sarah Everett looks at memory in an interesting way (like More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera although not like it also). And it is structured so interestingly and had such a true romance.
Ricki
For picture books, this week, I read Truck Stop by Anne Rockwell (a great book for vehicle lovers); Romping Monsters, Stomping Monsters by Jane Yolen (a fun book with clever language and fantastic illustrations); Look Up! by Jung Jin-Ho (a translation with almost no words that is very imaginative); The Fuschia is Now by J.otto Seibold (a futuristic book that is intriguing); City Lullaby by Marilyn Singer (a book with great counting and vehicles); Nerdy Birdy by Aaron Reynolds (a book with a beautiful moral), and What George Forgot by Kathy Wolff (a silly story that kept my son guessing).
Picking a favorite would be difficult. I will read Nerdy Birdy again and again. The moral is so important, and it teaches the value of kindness to those who might feel alone. I also adored the almost wordless, Look Up!. This translation is quite clever and fun to read.
I also REREAD one of my absolute favorite books, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. I am so, so excited to discuss it with my college students on Monday and Wednesday. I have some big plans for our discussion. 🙂
This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee
- Currently reading: Felix Yz by Lisa Bunker
- Currently listening to: Refugee by Alan Gratz
- Well, technically, I haven’t started either, so I’ll give you updates next week!
Ricki
I nabbed Patina by Jason Reynolds from the library. I was so excited to see that it was available!
Upcoming Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Ten Websites/Resources for Parents/Teachers to Who Want to Talk to Kids About Books
Wednesday: Blog Tour with Review and Giveaway!: Flashlight Night by Matt Forrest Esenwine
Thursday: Here Comes Teacher Cat by Deborah Underwood
Friday: New-to-Me Favorite Bilingual Picture Books from Arte Público Press: Growing Up with Tamales by Gwendolyn Zepeda; Esteban de Luna, Baby Rescuer! by Larissa M. Mercado-López; The Little Doctor by Juan J. Guerra; Dalia’s Wondrous Hair by Laura Lacámara; The Runaway Piggy by James Luna; Grandma’s Chocolate by Por Mara Price
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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I loved Wishtree. I can’t wait to get my own copy. Aristotle and Dante Discover Secrets of the Universe is not a book I know about, but I just looked it up and it sounds amazing!
It is so good, Lisa!
Wishtree is a special book, but that is what Applegate is good at 🙂
I’m still waiting for Wishtree, know it will be great when I finally read it! Thanks both of you for new picture books. They just keep coming, don’t they? Have a wonderful week!
There are so many that it’s unwieldy!
Let me know what you think when you get to it 🙂
I cannot wait for Wishtree. And I looking forward to reading Nothing Rhymes with Orange. It sounds fun!
Wishtree is so special! It comes out soon 🙂
Nothing Rhymes with Orange is so unique and silly.
Both great reads 🙂
I really enjoyed Wishtree. I can’t wait until it’s out in the world. And Aaron Reynolds was at our store and he was a great storyteller. I can’t wait to read Nerdy Bird.
It is such a fun story! I love it!
I can’t wait until it is out in the world either!
I haven’t read Nerdy Bird yet–I need to!
Glad to hear you fared OK in the hurricane, Kellee. I love that you spent your week off reading so many great books! I felt the same way about finishing the Unwind series – loved it so much! He is just so clever. I need to catch up on some of his more recent books. And I’m so excited about another new Gratz novel! I have that one in my audio backlog, too – hope to get to it soon.
Ricki, I also loved Aristotle & Dante – wish I could be in your class! I still need to read his 2nd novel.
Hope you both have a good week & enjoy your books!
Sue
Book By Book
His second is so, so good!
Shusterman is so unique–I love his books!
I’ll let you know how the Refugee audio is 🙂
And I need to read Saenz’s 2nd also.
I enjoyed Wishtree and Nothing Rhymes with Orange last week, too. I’m eagerly awaiting Josh Funk’s newest book and can’t wait to get my hands on it. I’m so glad that you and your family came out of the storms all right. Have a great week!
Such different yet great books!
And I cannot wait for Josh’s new book either!
Reading an ARC of Wishtree was one of the highlights of my summer. Somewhere else I had heard about The Girl in the Well is me so now it intrigues me.
I think reading Wishtree will be everyone’s highlight whenever they read it.
I’ll be interested in hearing how listening to Refugee goes. I wonder if it will be confusing because of the three narrators, but really that’s probably my own inability to attend! Need that visual piece!
I actually get less confused because of the 3 voices. It helps me remember who is talking while when reading I can forget…
Aristotle and Dante is one of my all-time favorite books. I NEED to listen to the audiobook since Lin-Manuel Miranda narrates it!
I’m excited to read Nothing Rhymes with Orange. Adam Rex is one of my all-time favorite authors.
I know you love his books! This one is just as unique as his other books 🙂
Kellee, I’m so glad you all were safe and sound during the troublesome weather. I am really looking forward to getting Wishtree.
Ricki, I thought Look Up! was great. Enjoy Patina!
I hope you love Wishtree!
Kellee, I couldn’t get into The Girl in the Well is Me. I have a really hard time reading any kind of mean girl books. Everyone We’ve Been Does look good. I just put a hold on Wishtree.
Rickie, what a wonderful collection of picture books. I’m also a fan of Aristotle and Dante. Enjoy Patina.
I had a hard time with Girl in the Well also! But my students love it! Everyone We’ve Been was very interesting–worth the read. And enjoy Wishtree 🙂
Hi Kellee, great to hear that you are doing well after the hurricane. And Ricki, I remember how much Ari and Dante broke my heart in the end, still haven’t read his Inexplicable Logic of My Life. 🙂 Enjoy the rest of your reading week!