It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 5/9/22

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
Sharing Picture Books, Early Readers, Middle Grade Books, and Young Adult Books for All Ages!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop co-hosted by Unleashing Readers and Teach Mentor Texts which focuses on sharing books marketed for children and young adults. It offers opportunities to share and recommend books with each other.

The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

We encourage you to write your own post sharing what you’re reading, link up below, leave a comment, and support other IMWAYR bloggers by visiting and commenting on at least three of the other linked blogs.

Happy reading!

Tuesday: I Am Able to Shine by Korey Watari, Illustrated by Mike Wu
**Giveaway Open Until Friday!**

Saturday: Student Voices: Nathan Hale’s Visit to Kellee’s School

**Click on any picture/link to view the post**

Kellee

• Finding Orion by John David Anderson: I love John David Anderson books! It is so amazing how each of his books are different yet so much fun to read. Finding Orion was a quirky realistic fiction story about Orion’s odd family and a quest they must go on after Rion’s grandfather dies. The family learns more than they expect on the quest. I can’t wait to discuss this book with my 7th grade book club.
• Flunked & Charmed (Fairy Tale Reform School) by Jen Calonita: Fans of Land of Stories and Whatever After will definitely love this series. Gilly just wants to help her family, but that meant stealing, so when she was caught the third time, she is sent to Fairy Tale Reform School which begins an adventure she could have never imagined.

• Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega, illustrated by Rose Bousamra: This story felt so real to me: the friendship between Marlene and Camila reminds me of so many BFFs I’ve taught, how mean kids like to point out Marlene’s differences is sadly too common in middle school, Marlene’s struggle with her identity versus what our society expects, and Marlene’s struggle to be true with her mom is something most middle schoolers struggle with. But luckily, this book is about self love, and I. Love. Books. About. Self. Love! And Bousamra’s illustrations just brough Ortega’s story to life! I will definitely get this for my students.
• Ride On by Faith Erin Hicks: Ride On is about figuring out one’s place as they fall out with friends who may not have the same goals as them and finding new friends that are accepting with all aspects of you, and how this is okay! So much of this felt true when it comes to middle school friendships. Oh, and all of this is surrounded by horses and riding competitions (and a little bit of sci-fi love!). Another gem by Hicks!
• Five Worlds: The Sand Warrior by Mark Siegel & Alexis Siegel, illustrated by Xanthe Bouma & Matt Rockefeller: Trent was given this series by his librarian, and when he finished, he was flabbergasted that I’d only read the first 3 of the series and hadn’t finished it, so I promised him that I would reread the first ones then finish it so we can talk, and I liked the book just as much the second time as I did the first time!

• Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 1 by Kanehito Yamada, illustrated by Tsukasa Abe: The first volume of this fantasy manga sucked me–I hope my library will get some more volumes! Frieren is an elf mage who will outlive everyone she is close with, so she has to find a purpose for her life.
• Alice in the Kingdom of Hearts, Vol. 1 by QuinRose, illustrated by Soumei Hoshino: What a dark and twisted Alice in Wonderland story! The concept starts a lot like the original story, but that is really where the comparisons, other than character names, ends and all the twists and turns begin!
• I’ve Been Killing Slime for 3000 Years and Maxed Out My Level, Vol. 1 by Kisetsu Morita, illustrated by Benio: Another fun fantasy quest series which I hope to read more of! Azusa just wants to live a peaceful life, but overtime, she has become over powered and now people will not leave her alone. What is she going to do now?
• Orange: Future by Ichigo Takano: I loved Orange, and I had no idea that there was a sequel to the original series which shows us what happened to the characters in the future. It overall made my heart so happy!

• Astra: Lost in Space Vol. 1-5 by Kenta Shinohara: My library clerk and I devoured this series–it was so, so, so good! I think I can say that it is one of my favorite sci-fi series ever. The concept is intriguing (a group of students on an interstellar field trip get abandoned in space) and that is just the beginning of so much. Highly recommend!

• The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune: This book is unlike any other book that I have ever read. It is so full of heart, has a wonderful plot, and has a much deeper meaning than it seems at first. And everyone in the book is so loveable. I mean, who cannot love a green amorphous blob that wants to be a bell hop or a gnome that is obsessed with gardening?!?! I love Klune’s writing–it is such a pleasure to read! I can see why this book has so much hype.

• Bruce Swap by Ryan T. Higgins: I couldn’t believe we’d missed a Bruce book! So happy to have realized it and fixed it because all of the Bruce books are so good!
• Our Planet! There’s No Place Like Earth by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by David Litchfield: Although I don’t believe this book is part of the Our Universe series, it fits right in as it is told from Earth’s point of view, teaches the reader throughout the book, and even has a bit of humor. This one makes sure the reader understands how important our planet it and taking care of it–a great way to discuss global warming with kids.
• Not Quite Narwhal and Perfectly Pegasus by Jessie Sima: When we saw Perfectly Pegasus at the book store, we were so excited that Jessie Sima had written a new book. Then to read it and find out that Kelp is in the new book also just made it that much better, so we definitely had to reread Not Quite Narwhal. Both books have great messages of family and found family.
• Bloom by Ruth Forman, illustrated by Talia Skyles: BEAUTIFUL! Each girl-presenting girl in this book blooms just like the flowers that surrounds them. No matter their looks, hair, clothes, etc., they are beautiful and are a force. And the art! Wow. The soft tone just invites the readers into the spreads.
• The National Menagerie of Art: Masterpieces from Vincent Van Goat to Lionhardo Da Stinki by Thaïs Vanderheyden: What a fun book! If I was an art teacher, well any teacher!, I would want this in my classroom ASAP! Vanderheyden does a fabulous job creating parodies of classic pieces of art, all with animals. Both Trent and my favorite is definitely “Pandamonium!” And the addition of the backmatter with information about the original pieces of art brings it all together.

• Endlessly Ever After by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by Dan Santat: Already reviewed at https://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=24296.
• Lizzy and the Cloud by The Fan Brothers: Already reviewed at https://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=24318.
• I Am Able to Shine by Korey Watari, illustrated by Mike Wu: Already reviewed at https://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=24378.
• Smart Cookie by Jory John, illustrated by Pete Oswald: This series is so clever! They are fun to read, silly in just the right ways, and all have such a great theme. Smart Cookie fills right in, and I love the message of how everyone is smart in their own way!

To learn more about any of these books, check out my 2022 Goodreads Challenge page  or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

It’s finals week, so I am very busy! I will catch up next week!

Kellee

• Listening to: Tricked (Fairy Tale Reform School #3) by Jen Calonita
• Reading (for 8th grade book club): The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi
• Reading: The Cobalt Prince (5 Worlds #2) by Mark Siegel & Alexis Siegel, illustrated by Xanthe Bouma & Matt Rockefeller

 

Tuesday: National Geographic Kids’ Mythical Beasts: 100 Fun Facts About Real Animals and the Myths They Inspire by Stephanie Warren Drimmer & Bling!: 100 Fun Facts About Gems by Emma Carlson Berne

Thursday: Close-Up On War: The Story of Pioneering Photojournalist Catherine Leroy in Vietnam by Mary Cronk Farrell

Sunday: Author Guest Post by Lowey Bundy Sichol, Author of Idea Makers: 15 Fearless Female Entrepreneurs

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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