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 Dystopian Books We’ve Ever Read
Wednesday: Big Book Summer Challenge: Revolution by Deborah Wiles & East of Eden by John Steinbeck
**Click on any picture/link to view the post**
Last Week’s Journeys
Kellee: After my horrible reading week 2 weeks ago, I made sure that I read this week. I think what I have found that works the best for me is having books to read on my phone. I always have my phone on me, and I can read it the dark. Two very big pluses in my new mom world. So, this week I ended up reading five graphic novels and four board books. Phew! My brain feels much better!
The four board books are ones that Trent picked out while we were at the library story time (I will say that although I love my job, I love taking Trent to the library every Friday! Wish I could do it all year.), and so far they are all a hit which means I may need to buy them: Llama Llama Hippity Hop by Anna Dewdney, Planes Go by Steve Light, Countasaurus by Megan Bryant, and Chicka Chicka ABC by Bill Martin, Jr.
The graphic novels I read were:
- Phoebe and her Unicorn and Unicorn on a Roll by Dana Simpson: I love Phoebe and her unicorn. Let me count the ways!
1) Phoebe is a smart, strong, unique little girl. She doesn’t allow bullies to make her rethink who she is, and she is just so quirky.
2) Heavenly Nostrils is the epitome of unicorn perfection. She is beautiful, knows she is beautiful, and will tell you she is beautiful. She cracks me up.
3) I love this pair! This reminds me of a Calvin/Hobbes, Mal/Chad, Salem Hyde/Whammy relationship. They are just so perfect for each other.
4) I want Phoebe and Big Nate to meet. I think they’d be awesome friends.
5) Dana Simpson does what I heard Frank Cammuso talk about that he does with his Salem Hyde books: Each page is a part of a whole story, but is also a comic strip within itself. Each page has a punch line or a theme. Love this! Makes reading so much fun.I loved book #2 so much that as soon as I finished, I went and got #1 from my library. You will not regret picking up this GN 🙂 Also, this would be a great graphic novel to pair with Uni the Unicorn by Amy Krouse Rosenthal that I read a couple of weeks ago.
- Fable Comics edited by Chris Duffy: I really enjoy Duffy’s anthologies. I love reading these compilations because I learn about new graphic novelists/comics, see their style, and all while reading stories. Also, what a fun and accessible way to share fables (and fairy tales in the first anthology). I love seeing the different artists’ work and seeing a new version of old stories.
P.S. My favorite were O’Connor’s! - The Misadventures of Salem Hyde #3: Cookie Catastrophe by Frank Cammuso: While working on a presentation for ABRAMS, I realized I’d never read the 3rd Salem Hyde book (I am not sure how this one slipped through my fingers), so I picked it up this week. Like always, Salem is a firecracker who always has everything work out in the end. Big Foot was definitely the star of this one though.
- Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash: This was such a lovely look at first love and sexual identity. I am definitely going to review this one on a Wednesday.
Ricki: This week, I read all of the recent manuscripts submitted to The ALAN Review. I have also been reading a lot of methodology books for my phenomenological study. Henry *allowed* me to break out a new book I found in our collection. It is called Zoom! Zoom! Sounds of Things That Go in the City by Robert Burleigh. I loved the illustrations and Henry loved shouting, “Car!” as he pointed to the vehicles, but I found the rhyme to be a bit clunky. Because it features cars, I suspect we will be reading it night after night. His current favorite book is Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker. I’m sure you know it, but do you know it by heart? My husband does.
This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee: In preparation for our July 23rd Twitter book club meeting (#MirandusChat), I am reading Circus Mirandus. I just started, but I already love the language. I’ve also received some amazing picture books recently that I cannot wait to read. Also, Trent will definitely be reading some more of the board books that we picked up from the library. Can’t wait to see which ones he gravitates towards.
Ricki: I am very excited to join Kellee on that Circus Mirandus chat. I’ve read the book, and as I said last week, it is phenomenal! I will be reading Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee this week. I’m a bit nervous, and I still have mixed feelings about reading it. It seems that all of the research is showing that she really did want this book released, but I am not sure if I should trust this—given senility. What do you think about it?
Upcoming Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Last Ten Books We Bought For Our Boys
Thursday: Stop by for a variety of alternatives to the traditional classroom discussion
Sunday: “Reaching Reluctant Readers with Action and Suspense” by Jake Bible, Author of Phantom Limbs!, Scarescapes Book 1
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 don’t think I’ll get to Circus Mirandus soon, but it sounds wonderful. Your chat will be good! Have a great week, Ricki and Kellee!
Bummer! Let us know if you do decide to read it soon!
Have a good week as well Linda!
I have Circus Mirandus on hold right now. I sure hope it comes in before the Twitter chat! Kellee, I so totally get what you mean about reading on your phone. It’s oftentimes the only way I can actually get any reading done! I just ordered Honor Girl for my library. I can’t wait to read it.
Ricki, I seesaw on Go Set a Watchman. (which I constantly accidentally call “To Kill a Watchman”) I absolutely don’t want it to be published against Lee’s wishes, but, at the same time, it seems an interesting point in our culture to have our most iconic “white savior” trope dismantled. At the very least, I’m enjoying reading people’s thoughts on the subject.
To Kill a Watchman—now THAT is an interesting title. I haven’t read the reviews on purpose, but I agree with your comments. It should be interesting to see how everyone comes down on the issues after they’ve read it.
I hope it comes before the chat as well Hannah! I would really love if you joined in.
Honor Girl is an important book. Quiet, yet important.
So many good books! I do want to read Go Set a Watchman. The few reviews/responses to it look like it will be quite different from To Kill a Mockingbird. I will probably go back and reread it as well to have them together in my mind.
Because I taught To Kill a Mockingbird for so many years, I feel as if it is engrained in my head. I may reread it afterward, but I haven’t decided yet. I am not sure if I should feel excited or guilty.
I haven’t decided if I want to read it or not yet…
Ricki, so glad you’ll be joining our CM chat! I’m going to reread it before then too. I read the ARC, now I’m anxious to read it again and see the artwork.
Kellee, I just bought the Phoebe graphic novels for school. My daughter really enjoyed them. There’s a lot of buzz for Honor Girl going around.
Have a great week!
I REALLY want to see the artwork! I plan to visit the library to look at it. I will buy the full book in good time (when my son is a tad bit older), but as of now, I don’t have the money, so the ARC will have to do. I am looking forward to our chat!
I am so glad your daughter loved Phoebe! She is one of my favorite early MG female protagonists!
I am confessing on various blogs that I don’t know if I will be able to participate in the CM chat. I just can’t get into this title. Not sure why – just maybe now is not the time for me and this book. So I may not have it read in time . . . I know everyone loves it so not sure why I can’t settle into it.
I can understand it a bit. I am only a little bit in, and it isn’t grabbing me yet either. I plan on finishing it on time, so we’ll see how I feel in the end. I hope you can join us, but if not, I understand! 🙂
This happens! I always find it very frustrating when this happens to me with a beloved title.
So many great books! I read Phoebe and the Unicorn just last week and didn’t realize that another is already out, fun! I am sure you both will greatly enjoy Circus Mirandus, lovely language and story!
I am not sure if it is out yet because I got it from Netgalley, but it will be out soon if it isn’t!
Looking forward to finishing Circus Mirandus 🙂
I loved it!
I really want to participate in that Twitter book club chat but I need to read the book. There is still time, though. I often wish my son would like to read stories more than once, but there must be a happy middle ground between our boys where, you know, 5 or 6 times would be good!
That would be wonderful! Rereading is fun to s a certain extent 🙂
I hope you are able to read it in time to take part–we’d love to have you! 🙂
There really should be a middle ground. Your comment makes me laugh because it is so true!
Thanks for hosting the #IMWAYR for kid lit and YA! I’ve gotten so many great ideas from these posts for my library and my own reading pleasure!
Thank you for stopping by Esther! And so glad we can help–love our blogging community 🙂
Hi there Kellee and Ricki, as usual I am impressed by the range of reading materials you two cover every week – from board books to professional development texts! I am looking forward to reading Circus Mirandus myself. Hopefully, I get to join the Twitter Chat.
Thank you Myra 🙂
I hope you can join in the chat as well! They are so much fun!
Thanks Kellee for sharing about Phoebe and her Unicorn. I have to look for that one. I am trying to expand the number of GNs that I read. I tend to stay within certain series. Love that Trent is picking out his own books. You are raising him right. Ricki – I have decided to stay away from Go Set a Watchman. I really feel like it was an early draft of To Kill a Mockingbird and it wasn’t necessarily something that Lee wanted published. It seems too weird that after her sister’s death that it was published. Curious though to see what you think.
You’re welcome! Phoebe is great!
I am always here to help with GNs 🙂 They are my favorite (though I do not read as many of them as I would like either). I think visualizing was always something I struggled with, so GNs really help bring stories to life for me. Love them!