It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!
It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. 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!
Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee 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
Tuesday: Top Ten Books If You Like Superheroes/Reality TV
Thursday: Ricki’s Bookish Bucket List
Friday: Kellee’s Bookish Bucket List
**Click on any picture/link to view the post**
Last Week’s Journeys
Kellee: I read two very good, but every different, books this week. First I finished In The Shadow of Blackbirds which is quite a unique book. It takes place in 1918 during World War I and the Spanish Flu epidemic and has a twist of supernatural. And so suspenseful! I also finished Serafina’s Promise which transports you to Haiti during the floods and really bad earthquake. Ann E. Burg’s verse is so descriptive that it makes the setting and characters jump off the page.
Trent continued his picture books reading as well and read some great ones this week:
- Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton (I am remembering how much I love Sandra Boynton, and I am enjoying every single one of her books that we read.)
- Koala Lou by Mem Fox (Every time I said “Koala Lou, I DO love you.” Trent smiled. It melted my heart!)
- Peek-A-Zoo by Nina Laden
- All In A Day by Cynthia Rylant (I really loved the lyrical aspect of this one and the message. One of my favorites we’ve read this far.)
- Sleepy Bears by Mem Fox (I love how each bear had a different dream. Another great message in a wonderful picture book.)
- Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney (A classic! Just as good as when I read it when I used to babysit.)
- If I Was a Penguin… by Anne Wilkinson (On Jim’s birthday he chose what to read Trent, and they reread this cute book.)
Ricki: I received a wonderful box of ARCs from Penguin this week. I was sucked in by the cover of The Merciless by Danielle Vega. “Forgive us, Father, for we have sinned,” and “For mature audiences only.” I dug right into that one. My son fell asleep in the car seat in the back of my car, so I started reading it in the front seat of the car (in my garage). I was done by the next morning. (Don’t worry, we left the garage.) It was a great horror book that sucked me in!
This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee: I started Openly Straight last night and am already liking the voice. I’m sure I’m going to love it. Trent plans on making a dent on his library pile that includes more Sandra Boynton, Dan Santat, Mem Fox, and other picture books we can’t wait to read.
Ricki: I am currently reading eight books right now. I just can’t get enough variety, I suppose. I just started Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck. It came highly recommended. I am also listening to Paperboy on CD, and I am reading a fantastic book for early elementary schoolers called Annika Riz, Math Whiz by Claudia Mills. It is a very fun, short chapter book. I am also still reading some of the others I posted in my last Monday post.
Upcoming Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Top Ten Books We’d Frame As Pieces of Art
Wednesday: Guest Post from Mathangi Subramanian, author of Bullying
Thursday: Guest post by Michele Weber Hurwitz, Author of The Summer I Saved the World in 65 Days
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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Even without kids, I’ve found myself taking advantage of any situation where it gave me time to read! Also, I love reading different kinds of books at the same time so whatever mood I’m in, I’ll find something to occupy my time!
When I used to listen to audiobooks, I used to sit in parking lots or before going into work just to get to a good stopping point.
Ah, me too, Earl! I think that is why I have started reading eight books at once. My mood fluctuates too much to stick with one.
Still want to read Serafina’s Promise. It has been well reviewed other places too, Kellee. And Ricki, Travels With Charley is a favorite, favorite book. It’s a re-read for me every few years. Sounds as if you’ve both had a good week. Best wishes for another one!
Serafina really takes you to Haiti during that horrible tragedy. My only complaint is that it ended too soon.
I don’t understand how I haven’t read Travels with Charley. I am really glad I got to it, though. It is a goodie.
Just love the Mem Fox book selections… so wonderful. Love her adult book as well. Good to remember why I bought Seraphina’s Promise, must read soon, perfect for a teaching unit for one of my year levels. Ricki- enjoy those ARCs, I feel like I’m drowning in ARCs from Netgalley right now. Shall look forward to hearing what you think about the Paperboy audiobook, might be the way I end up reading it as well. 🙂
Adult book? Had no idea! I am in love with Mem Fox and Sandra Boynton right now.
When you are done with Serafina let me know so we can both whine about how it is too short 🙂
Debbie, it was a last resort. I just don’t have enough time to read all of the books I want, and Paperboy has been high up on my list, so I got it via inter-library loan. So far, I love it.
Mem Fox has an adult book? Really?!
I am also drowning in ARCs, but I am trying to swim!
Openly Straight is one of my favorites from last year. So fun. Eight at a time! That’s quite a juggling act. Too fun. 🙂
I already love his voice and I just started.
Lots of great books for both of you last week! Cynthia Rylant is wonderful – my sons really loved her Henry & Mudge books.
All the YA books sound great, too. I have huge piles of review books I am behind on! And I haven’t read a Steinbeck novel since high school. We read a lot of Steinbeck in my HS, but I have never read Travels with Charley. i want to read more classics this year so i should check that out.
Enjoy your books this week!
Sue
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I’ve never read Henry and Hudge–tell me more!
Henry and Mudge is a series of early-reader books Rylant wrote about a boy and his dog. There is a companion series featuring Henry’s cousin Annie to appeal to girls (though Henry & Mudge appeals to all kids!). Wonderful stories – my kids loved them. Their favorite was about a rainy weekend when Henry and Mudge had to stay indoors and built a cardboard castle in their basement – inspired a lot of creativity at our house!
Sue
LOVE! Will definitely look into them 🙂
Steinbeck is my favorite classic author, so I will read anything by him. It is a nonfiction book he wrote about his travels with his dog. So far, I love it. Several teachers in my previous school were raving about it on Facebook, so I felt I needed to give it a whirl.
Oh, the memories of reading in the garage with a sleeping baby!!!! I always enjoyed that time – whatever it takes to get a little bit of time for yourself!! Can’t wait to see the post from Michele hurwitz! Loved her book. She’s a Chicagoan like me 🙂
I have sat in my driveway more in the last 10 weeks than I ever had before 🙂
I am glad I am bringing you back some memories! We take the reading time that we can, right? Michele’s post is quite lovely. I think you will enjoy it. She is a beautiful writer.
Oh yes – the being trapped with sleeping baby days! I found ways to get lots of reading in in those days too! Love all of the Mem Fox you are enjoying Kellee – Sleepy Bears was a title we had to read every night for months. I bet I still have it memorized. Enjoy The PaperBoy Ricki – that was one of my favourite reads of 2013.
I just finished Openly Straight and really enjoyed it–your comment about the voice captured what I found special about it. I’m excited to hear about the new Claudia Mills–I liked Kelsey Green Reading Queen quite a bit and have loaned it to several students who also connected. Paperboy is on my list for summer; of course, ten zillion other books are too. But I’m hoping to read a lot of middle-grade this summer. Enjoy your week!
Oh my goodness – a box of ARCs – how awesome is that! So many Mem Fox picturebooks – I love hearing your babies’ responses to your read-aloud. The Merciless sounds really intriguing. Hope to get to paperboy soon. 🙂