It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
For readers of all ages
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how 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. The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.
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: Educators’ Guide for The Rumor Game by Dhonielle Clayton & Sona Charaipotra
Thursday: Dear Unicorn by Josh Funk, Illustrated by Charles Santoso
**Click on any picture/link to view the post**
Kellee
- Marvellers #2: The Memory Thieves by Dhonielle Clayton: I worry sometimes about book 2 of a series, but this one did not disappoint. I am so glad that we got to go back to the Arcanum with Ella where we get to know more about the magic of her world and join her and her friends on another adventure to save the world!
- Wildfire by Breena Bard: This graphic novel does a great job of combining a story that is so timely about a middle schooler losing her home because of a wildfire with lessons about climate change; by the end of the book, anyone reading will want to make a difference in this world!
- Star Wars: The Mandalorian: The Manga Vol. 1 by Yusuke Osawa: This manga is a retelling of The Mandalorian series, and I loved revisiting the story. I’ll definitely be looking for the next book in the series to follow Mando and Grogu’s adventures.
- Insomniacs After School Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 by Makoto Ojiro: By the end of book one, we didn’t know much about our two main characters, so I really enjoyed getting to know them both more through these two volumes. This manga is perfect for any fans of slice of life with a dash of crush.
- Cinder by Marissa Meyer: Cinder is a reread for me because I want to read the rest of the series. I still very much agree with 2013 Kellee who reviewed this book about how great the worldbuilding is; I am so glad I can now continue the series!
- Demon Slayer Vol. 6 and Vol. 7 by Koyoharu Gotouge: I am finally getting into this series and may understand why so many people like it. I still have trouble with all of the characters, but I have a list now to help me remember and that has definitely allowed me to enjoy it more. I look forward to continuing the series to see what Tanjiro is up to!
- The Welcome Home by Amy June Bates: This book will be so much fun to read aloud to kids! There are so many opportunities to ask for prediction questions, the animals the couple get are just so silly, and the illustrations are just superb! Additionally, the topics of longing, companionship, and family all are easily relateable. It also easily lends itself to opportunities for writing after reading!
- The Mermaid With No Tail by Jessica Long, Illustrated by Airin O’Callaghan: Through a story of a mermaid, Jessica Long definitely shares with her readers the importance of following your passions and how differences are our powers. The story also was influenced by the author’s life, which is shared in the back matter. I just love this celebration of Long’s (well, Tatiana the mermaid’s) life!
- What is Hope? by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic, Illustrated by Kelsey Buzell: This book is just beautiful. I read it a few times, and it truly gave me goosebumps. I want to read it with kids and talk to them about hope. Hope is such an important emotion but is also complex, and this text delves into all of that. It also lends itself so easily into being a mentor text for students to create their own “What is ____?” book or poem.
- A Walk in the Wood by Nikki Grimes, Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney & Brian Pinkney: This book made me cry. The combination of Nikki Grimes’s brilliant words, the artwork by father/son Jerry & Brian Pinkney, the loss of Jerry Pinkney, and the message of place just pulled so many emotions out of me. Oh, and the notes in the back. Just so much emotion. Also, I would love to see kids be inspired by the boy’s story and Grimes’s words and write their own poems and create their own illustrations about animals and nature.
To learn more about any of these books, click on any title/image to go to the book’s Goodreads page or check out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.
Ricki
It is my week off–see you next week!
Kellee
- Reading: The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming by David Wallace-Wells, Unicorn Crossing: Another Phoebe and her Unicorn Adventure by Dana Simpson, and Above the Trenches by Nathan Hale
- Listening: Lunar Chronicles #2: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
- Listening with Trent: Consider the Octopus by Nora Raleigh Baskin & Gae Polisner
Tuesday: Educators’ Guide for Last Gate of the Emperor by Kwame Mbalia and Prince Joel Makonnen
Thursday: Recent, High Interest, Engaging Graphic Novels Your Elementary and Middle School Students Will Love
Friday: Author Guest Post: “Delicious Details” by Caroline Hickey, Author of Ginny Off the Map
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
My copy of Cinder is hanging in there, although it was checked out during the pandemic and I thought I would never get it back! Isn’t it fun to be able to look back ten years and see what you were reading? Have a great week!
Oh, I had forgotten about Cinder & the others, read long ago. I’ll note it, Kellee. Thanks for the reminder! And, I just read A Walk In The Woods, though didn’t share today. It is very special as you wrote. Have a great week, fall is coming!
Wildfire and The Welcome Home are going on my list.
Nice to hear you enjoyed Wildfire. We had an event with Breena Bard at our store last week. I enjoyed her debut graphic novel Trespassers.
Just requested Walk in the Woods. Thanks for the warning about Extreme Emotions.