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.
One Year Anniversary Celebration
We are gearing up for our one year anniversary (June 24th) and have a fun week planned with celebratory posts and giveaways! In honor of our anniversary, we redesigned the look of our blog. Because we are so excited, we couldn’t wait to share it with you all, so we are unveiling it a few weeks early! We hope you love it as much as we do. A big thank you to Philip Stetson for this beautiful design!
In preparation for our one year anniversary celebration, we would love to hear from our fellow bloggers! On June 25th, we are focusing on the power of blogging, and we would love to highlight other incredible reading/teaching blogs. If you would like your blog to be included in our post, please complete our survey:
Last Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Top Ten We’ve Read So Far This Year
Friday: How to Cheer Up Dad Author Interview
**Click on any picture/link to view the post**
Last Week’s Journeys
Kellee: I had a great reading week!!! First, I finished The Fire Horse Girl by Kay Honeyman which was a roller coaster of a ride! Highly recommend it. I then read the first book in Jon Sciezska’s newest middle grade series Frank Einstein and the Anti-matter Motor, and it is definitely going to be loved by so many middle graders. Next was All the Truth That’s In Me by Julie Berry, and I am glad I knew nothing about this book when I began because the cover and description do not do it justice. A wonderful historical fiction mystery with a strong voice. Last was Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott which was probably my favorite of the week. I read it in one sitting and couldn’t put it down! I fell in love with the characters. SO GOOD!
Trent and I had a good book week as well:
- One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Salina Yoon (I have really liked everything of Salina Yoon’s I’ve read. This is a fun take on the classic nursery rhyme.)
- The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle (Classic! I hadn’t remembered that it taught different animals which ended up being a bit of a theme this week.)
- My Dad Thinks He’s Funny by Katrina Germein (This was our Father’s Day read, and this is an example of a book that is so much better when read out loud.)
- Olivia Counts by Ian Falconer (My friend’s daughter loves Olivia and this was our first encounter with her. A pretty complex counting book.)
- This Little Chick by John Lawrence (Another animal book with quite the curious little chick.)
- Ten Little Fingers, Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox (Another Mem Fox book that did not disappoint. I loved the introduction to different cultures in this one.)
- Are You A Cow? by Sandra Boynton (Our final animal book. Sandra Boynton books just crack me up. I don’t know what it is about them, but they do.)
Ricki: I am writing this post a bit early because I am heading on a trip with my husband and son! I am hoping this means more reading time, but all bets are off with a baby! I haven’t finished any of my longer books yet, but Henry and I read a few picture books. We enjoyed Nest by Jorey Hurley (beautiful illustrations in this one, but there are few words, so readers will have to use their imaginations!), Early Bird by Toni Yuly (a nice story with bold graphics), Don’t Push the Button by Bill Cotter (a fun, interactive book that is much like Press Here by Hervé Tullet), Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney (a very loving, warm classic that was wonderful to read as a mama to her son), and The Snatchabook by Helen Dacherty. The Snatchabook would be my pick of the week. It is a clever, beautiful story that was so much fun to read as an adult. I will definitely be buying this one.
This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee: I actually am reading two books at the moment (the crowd gasps!). I have Winger by Andrew Smith on my phone to read when I have no light, and I am reading Julie Halpern’s The F It List when I do have light. Both are very good so far. I’m a fan of each of the author’s style of writing. After these books I’m not sure what I’ll pick up. Which of these do you think I should pick up? Golden Boy, Midwinter Blood, Out of the Easy, Wise Young Fool, or Reality Boy?
Ricki: Because I am posting so early in the week, my future books haven’t changed. I am halfway through A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd, which has become one of my favorite books. I am also enjoying Voices of the Sea by Bethany Masone Harar. I haven’t read much of my PD text, We Can’t Teach What We Don’t Know: White Teachers, Multiracial Schools by Gary Howard. I am hoping to convince my husband to listen to The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin on our road trip, but he hates audiobooks, so it is highly unlikely that I will be successful!
Upcoming Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Top Ten Books on our Summer TBR Lists
Friday: Lisa Martens’ Guest Post: Mental Illness, Brain Disease, and Societal Pressures: Top 5 Books on Brain Matters
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’ll have to grab the arc of Frank Einstein. And I’m glad more and more people are enjoying A Snicker of Magic!
It is going to be a MG favorite for sure!
I need to read Frank Einstein too. I keep hearing about it!
I do have the Julie Berry book on my list, Kellee, so will move it up per your recommendation, & Ricki, I love The Snatchabook too-such a sweet story with some laughs too! Thanks both of you! And have oodles of fun in your celebration!
It is a very unique book. Looking forward to hearing what you think linda.
Thanks, Linda! I adore you. We hope to have “oodles of fun!” I hope you will stop by and join us. 🙂
I’ve been reading posts by this meme for a while and finally decided to dive in. I loved OUT OF THE EASY. I’ve been hearing such good things about A SNICKER OF MAGIC. I want to read it soon.
Welcome! Glad you decided to join us!
I loved Ruta’s first book, so I am excited about Out of the Easy. Thank you for letting me know it is good 🙂
Kay! I am so glad you decided to dive in! It is nice to meet you! I am in agreement with you. OUT OF THE EASY is a very special book. I highly recommend SNICKER. It is incredibly well done.
I really enjoyed Jumped In. Books involving poetry are some of my favorites. I would read Golden Boy next Kellee. It’s amazing. Strangely enough I still haven’t gotten to A Snicker of Magic. One day soon maybe.
I concur. Poetry within books really adds a literary aspect to it.
Thank you. I’ll put Golden Boy on top of the pile.
Crystal, it is well worth the hype. I am absolutely head over heels for this book.
Will look forward to finding out more about The F It List… 🙂 Loved A Snicker of Magic… will read again sometime soon. Hope you both have a wonderful reading week…
The F It List, so far, is quite entertaining. The voice is great.
I could read A Snicker of Magic over and over again. I am reading it slowly because I don’t want it to end!
I really need to read Winger and The F It List. I don’t think I’ve even heard of Jumped In yet–off to investigate. Out of the Easy and Midwinterblood were meh books for me, though clearly I’m in the minority there. Ricki, I just finished Snicker of Magic yesterday and ended up loving it. And The Snatchabook is definitely a favorite.
Jumped In is flying under the radar, but shouldn’t be. You won’t regret if you pic it up.
Agreed. Snatchabook is a special picture book!
Out of the Easy! I vote Out of the Easy! I have Midwinterblood too. Perhaps, we should both read it together, Kel! I loved Reality Boy, but I love anything A. S. King. 🙂 Elisabeth, there have been many, many books that others have liked that have been “meh” for me. I totally understand.
LOL Seems like Out of the Easy and Golden Boy are the front runners 🙂 Then Midwinterblood and Reality Boy. I love everything by AS King that I’ve read too 🙂
Hi Ladies! You’ve got some books mentioned that I need to read! The Fire Horse Girl sounds interesting! Ricki, I hope you’re having a good time away. We leave Wednesday and I’m ready for some time off!!
It was very interesting.
Have a great vacation!
I had a wonderful weekend away! I hope you have an enjoyable trip, as well!
Oh, shoot – my comment didn’t show up…
Kellee, you really read a lot last week! And Sandra Boynton cracks me up every time, too – I loved her stuff even before she started doing kids’ books – greeting cards, mugs, t-shirts, whatever!
Ricki – I hope you find time to read on your trip! Have fun!
Sue
2014
Big Book Summer Challenge
Lots of great books highlighted here! Glad you found and enjoyed Nest Ricki. Such a beautiful book. Kellee we were big fans of Olivia when my children were younger – Olivia is some pig!
Glad to see you’re reading more Mem Fox books – I know I should find more of her picturebooks, I am so behind. Olivia is wonderful, glad to hear that you’re enjoying her too. 🙂 Ricki, I am also happy to hear that you’re enjoying Snicker of Magic – one of the novels I fell in love with this year.