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
Jeff S.
for winning a copy of Don’t Forget Dexter!
Last Week’s Posts
**Click on any picture/link to view the post**
Tuesday: Twenty 2018 Books We Look Forward to Reading
Wednesday: Love by Matt de la Peña
Thursday: Guest Review: That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E.K. Johnston
Friday: What Do You Do With a Chance? by Kobi Yamada
Sunday: Author Guest Post by Shana Hollowell, Author of Little Mouse’s Sweet Treat
Last Week’s Journeys
Kellee
Why do short weeks at work always feel the longest and most hectic?!?!
I am so glad that my book club chose, and Laurel agreed, to Skype (Google Hangout, actually…) with Laurel Snyder because I was able to read a bunch of her amazing books!
I loved every single one of them, and I adored that my middle schoolers made sure I got her picture books to read with them too. I know many of you have read Bigger Than a Breadbox, but did you know Seven Stories Up is a companion about Rebeca’s mother?! And Orphan Island is quite special! I can definitely see why it is on many Mock Newbery lists.
Almost done with what is out in the Whatever After series 🙁 This one, a twist on “Hansel and Gretel” had a bit of a twist in it–super fun!
Two new favorite reads entered into our lives this week: Penguins Don’t Wear Sweaters! by Marikka Tamura and Hi, Jack! by Mac Barnett & Greg Pizzoli. Trent has made me read Hi, Jack! over and over since I introduced him to it. And I love Penguins because it is adorable but also teaches about the dangers of environmental issues for animals.
Trent and I have also found two more ways to get reading into his life. First, my friend, Cristen, was kind enough to gift us read along books with CDs, so now we listen in the car on the way to school in the morning or any other time we have alone time in my car. We also have found Read Along Movies through Hoopla and my public library. This week we watched the Goodnight Moon movie (which also had a sign language interpreter!) and the by mouse & frog movie.
Ricki
It’s been a busy week for me! The first week of classes started, and I’ve spent some good time planning and prepping syllabi and meeting with my interns. I redesigned my Adolescents’ Literature class, and I’m really excited to see how it goes this semester.
Henry is really into this graphic novel. We read a little bit each night. I think I’ll be hunting for the others in the series as this is book #4. Bird & Squirrel on Fire features two characters (Bird and Squirrel) who are best buds. They have a run-in with some rats and some fire in their adventure. My favorite character was a more minor character named Red. She’s lovely.
I REREAD The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. This is my fifth or sixth time reading it, and I genuinely enjoy it more with each reading. I am excited to discuss it with my class this week. 🙂
This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee
As many of you recommended, one of the first books I picked up from my #mustreadin2018 list is a Gae Polisner novel: The Memory of Things. And it is beautiful. I am halfway through it, and I cannot wait to read more. I also am about to start the last Whatever After book that is out right now. Number 11 comes out in April, 2018. Until then, I am going to listen to the Fablehaven series per Twitter recommendations.
Ricki
Because I have 40 students enrolled in my Adolescents’ Literature class, my interns and I are splitting the class into thirds every few weeks to have more intimate book decisions. I am in charge of Adam Silvera’s History Is All You Left Me. I will be discussing it with Creative Writing majors, and I am really excited to hear their thoughts.
Upcoming Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Books We Liked A Lot But Cannot Remember Much About
Wednesday: Ellie, Engineer by Jackson Pearce
Thursday: Guest Review!: There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins
Friday: Pandamonia by Chris Owens
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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Your post is filled with good books, Kellee and Ricki. I love the Laurel Snyder books, but am not sure I’ve read Seven Stories Up. Yes, The Memory of Things is wonderful. History Is All You Left Me is a title I don’t know. Will put it on my list! Happy Reading!
Adam Silvera is fantastic. All of his books are excellent. 🙂 🙂 Happy reading this week!
Hi Jack looks really fun. I also got to hangout with Laurel Snyder once with a book group. She was awesome. Her books are lovely too. I really adored Orphan Island.
Yay for switching things up Ricki. I’m sure I’d love to be in your Adol. Lit class. History is All You Left Me is such an interesting book. The emotions! Silvera makes me cry every single time.
Crystal, I would love to TEACH Adol. Lit. WITH you. 😉
Can’t wait to read your review of Ellie! I love her! I need to do some major book talking because I haven’t had anyone check her out yet. I just need to bring it to a bookaday class, I think she’ll get a lot of attention!
So much going on for you two! Busy time of year.
Kellee, it is always fun when a book group gets to chat with an author! Sounds like you will be well-prepared. And Fablehaven was one of my older son’s favorite series of all time! He’s now got my 12-year old nephew into it, too 🙂
Ricki, I read the first Bird & Squirrel book – it was very cute, and when I passed it along to my cousin’s daughter, she enjoyed it, too. And I loved listening to Part-Time Indian on audio and would love a chance to reread it on print this time. Enjoy! Wish I could be in your class – sounds like a lot of fun!
Enjoy your books this week!
Sue
Book By Book
It’s so great to hear that the first Bird & Squirrel book is good! I am going to be hunting them down this month. 🙂
Mac Barnett is so prolific. I’m surr people will enjoy his new early reader series. And Sherman Alexie’s YA novel is worth all the rereads!
Mac Barnett = Magic.
Sherman Alexie = Magic.
Both authors make me so happy.
Kellee your determination to read all of the Whatever After series is making me feel a wee bit guilty that I haven’t even read one of them. I have decided to listen to the first one in and effort to assuage my guilt. I hope I don’t get addicted. I don’t have time.
Rickie, those Bird & Squirrel books were so popular in the library that I never bothered to read one (at least I don’t remember ever doing so) History Is All You Left Me is not my favourite Adam Silvera novel, but anything by him is good!