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 Bookish/Blog Goals/Resolutions for 2014
**Click on any picture/link to view the post**
Last Week’s Journeys
Kellee: This week I focused on reading two middle grade novels I’d been wanting to read ever since I’d heard of them and a pile of picture books I had. I am so glad that I read A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd and Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. These books are brilliant. I can see why everyone is raving about them:
- Snicker of Magic is a quiet, special books that just goes straight to your heart when you read it. I loved so many of Natalie Lloyd’s words I actually pulled out tabs to mark pages for reminders and sharing. The book is marked like crazy! Beautiful writing.
- I adored Fish in a Tree so much! I think it means even more to me being an intensive reading teacher/reading coach. Ally is so many students that I have had over the years that just needed a teacher to take the time; Mr. Daniels is the teacher that I hope I am, that I wish I could be, that I want all teachers to be, and that I want to be friends with; Ally’s journey is one that I hope I inspire my students to have; Keisha is the friend I wish I’d had; Albert is so many student in our schools that are just a bit different thus leading to a life of sorrows; Shay shows that meanness often is because of meanness; Travis shows that it is never too late to change a kid’s life. So many special characters and such a special story. Once again, Lynda Mullaly Hunt made me cry. Well done!
For picture books, I read so many good ones: The Right Word by Jennifer Fisher Bryant, Happy Birthday, Madame Chapeau by Andrea Beaty, The Very Inappropriate Word by Jim Tobin, Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse, The Girl Who Hear Colors by Marie Harris, The Cat, the Dog, Little Red, the Exploding Eggs, the Wolf, and Grandma by Diane Fox, April & Esme: Tooth Fairies by Bob Graham, Miss Brooks Loves Books! by Barbara Bottner, Birds by Kevin Henkes, Found by Salina Yoon, I’m My Own Dog by David Ezra Stein, Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin, Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker, When Otis Courted Mama by Kathi Appelt, Emmanuel’s Dream by Laurie Ann Thompson, and Once Upon an Alphabet by Oliver Jeffers. Not a bad one in the bunch! Some of these even ended up on my Best Reads of 2015 list! I’ll be reviewing many of these in the future.
Ricki: I read some excellent books this week! I loved The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley. It is a 2015 Morris Finalist and well-deserving of this honor. The setting and raw emotion of this book really hit me hard. I struggled to pick up another book because I couldn’t bear to leave the emotions I felt from this one. I particularly loved the parental dynamics. I also very much enjoyed Shadow Hero by Gene Luen Yang. This book felt very teachable to me, and it will serve well for discussions of race, stereotypes, and heroism.
Henry and I dove into the picture books this week. We enjoyed Uni the Unicorn by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. It is a book that is very much marketed for girls, but I will read it to Henry because I refuse to give in to gender expectations. I love e.e. cummings’ I Carry Your Heart with Me, so I loved sharing the picture book with Henry. The art by Mati Rose McDonough is simply stunning. Henry also learned about Alzheimer’s Disease in Forget Me Not by Nancy Van Laan. This is a quiet, important book that is a great resource for teachers. We thought Earth Space Moon Base by Ben Joel Price was an okay book–enjoyable for those who like reading about space.
This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee: Back to school…. That means less reading 🙁 I am starting Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero and hope to finish it (one of my #mustreadin2015). Like Ricki said below, we will share our lists on Wednesday!
Ricki: I am excited to read How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon. It is one of my books on my #mustread2015 list! Kellee and I are excited to share these lists on Wednesday. 🙂
Upcoming Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Top Ten Most Anticipated Debut Novels of 2015
Wednesday: #MustReadIn2015
Thursday: Blog Tour, Book Trailer, and Author’s Guest Post!: When Otis Courted Mama by Kathi Appelt
Friday: Books Trent Got For Christmas
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 requested the E ARC of Fish in A Tree– see if I get it! Back to school means less reading, but also that the library will bring books right to school for me, which is good. Have new shipment to get out to students, which is always fun, so it’s good to be back!
I am glad to hear you are looking forward to being back at school! I also requested Fish in a Tree. We will both cross our fingers. 🙂 Happy reading this week!
I hope you both get it. It is a very special book!
Kellee – I agree that A Snicker of Magic is full of beautiful writing. I hope it gets some love this award season. Can’t wait to read Fish in a Tree! Ricki – I want to read How It Went Down, too!
Holly, I will let you know how it is! I hope you have a terrific week!
I can’t see how it wouldn’t?!?!
It is sad that our lo-ong reading time is gone, but back to school & learning about books from students is good, too. You both have books read that I want to read, hopefully soon. I do love The Right Word and I Carry Your Heart With Me, both must haves for a library. Have a good, good week!
e.e. cummings is simply a genius, so I very much appreciate his writing. The illustrations were stunning. I am glad I own this one, so I can read it again and again.
I Carry Your Heart With Me looks like an amazing read. cummings is such an amazing writer.
So many great picture books! 🙂 All the bright places- just reviewed that myself today… loved it so much… also adored Fish in a Tree, my review of that is coming soon, so special… Happy reading week to you both!
I really enjoyed reviewing All the Bright Places. There was so much to discuss! A very happy reading week to you, too!
Fish in a Tree is definitely a special book, and I look forward to reading All The Bright Places (it is in my stack :D).
You both read such great picture books this week! So much fun to have little readers to share them with 🙂 Can’t wait to see your #mustreadin2015 lists I am reading the second from my list already and loving it. Kellee – I loved your top reads of 2014 too!
Carrie, we are so excited to share. It feels really good to be a part of this challenge, so thank you for having us!
Thank you Carrie! I always love sharing my favorite reads each year 🙂
I am on my first of my must read list and so far am enjoying it.
I haven’t heard of The Carnival at Bray but that sounds interesting. I’m going to start Fish in a Tree this week I think but I should try and finish one of the many novels I’ve already started first!
I hadn’t heard of it until it showed up on the Morris shortlist, either. I am curious to hear what you think of it if you read it! Too many novels at once is my style, too. 🙂
I think you should read Fish. Special enough to push in front of others 🙂
Ricki, I’m trying to read the Morris finalists this month. Carnival at Bray is on the top of my TBR stack. So glad you enjoyed it! Kellee, I want to get to many of the PBs you mention. One thing I love about reading PBs is that there are so many good ones! I read far more PBs than any other kind of book, and I also give more 4 and 5 stars in that category. Lots of quality reading there!
I am interested to hear what you think! Kellee is reading Gabi, but I am not sure yet if we will read all of them. You will have to give us your candid opinion after you read them all!
I’m reading Gabi from the Morris shortlist, too. Really am enjoying the cast of characters.
I agree! There are some stellar picture books out there! All of the ones I read this last week were all 4 or 5 stars. So well done.
Wow! So many good picture books. I definitely need to make it back to those shelves in the library. One day soon I am going to get around to reading A Snicker of Magic and Fish in a Tree. I feel like I’m missing out on so much with both of those!
Kay, I am interested to see if I keep up with the picture book releases after my son is older. I suspect I will, but I wonder if I am being optimistic! I highly recommend A Snicker of Magic, and I haven’t read Fish in a Tree. 🙂
All of them were good Kay–I highly recommend all that I read!
Both books are wonderful–worth reading if you find the time.
I’m really looking forward to getting Fish in a Tree – so glad you had good things to say about it. Wow – that was a lot of picture books Kellee! I’m also very interested in the e.e. cummings picture book. I loved Gabi & How it Went Down was intense. Enjoy!
I am halfway through How it Went Down. There are a lot of uncomfortable parts so far, but it is an excellent read. Happy reading this week!
And they were all good 🙂
Kellee, so glad you loved A Snicker of Magic. That book just went straight to my heart. I’m a bit monomaniacal about it if you hadn’t noticed. 🙂
Ricki, I’ll be interested to read what you think of How It Went Down. That was a powerful book and when I booktalked it, I had kids fighting over who got to read it first.
I knew you’d be happy that I read it 🙂 It was as good as you say 🙂
Beth, I am excited to finish it. It is excellent thus far. I am also crazy about Snicker, so I was thrilled Kellee liked it, too!
Kellee, I’m so glad you read A Snicker of Magic, it was one of my favorite books of 2014 and I’m telling everyone I know they need to read it. I loved the language too!
Everyone should read it! Same with Fish in a Tree 🙂
I can’t wait to see what you guys put on your #mustread lists! I’m sure no matter what my list looks like, you’ll add to it 🙂
Yes, school starting means not as much reading. I’m hoping to stick to my plan and get a lot read this year, anyway!
Have a great week!
(and yes, add Destiny to your reading pile. So so good!!)
I promise I will! I will see if the library has it when I go this week. 🙂
I am heading over to check out your #mustreadin2015 list!
Happy New Year to you both Kellee and Ricki. I just received a copy of All The Bright Places from a good friend who works at the leading bookseller here in Singapore – can’t wait to get to it soonest. 🙂 Lots of great titles too in your #mustreadin2015 list! 🙂