It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!
It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme started by Sheila at Book Journeys and now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 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!
Kellee and Jen, of Teach Mentor Texts, 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
**Click on any picture/link to view the post**
Tuesday: Ten Books We Picked Up on a Whim and Enjoyed
Wednesday: Blog Tour, Giveaway, and Review!: Bubonic Panic by Gail Jarrow
Giveaway open until Tuesday! It’s a great nonfiction text!
Thursday: Poptropica: Mystery of the Map by Jack Chabert
Friday: Agent Darcy and Ninja Steve in Tiger Trouble by Grant Goodman
Congratulations to Kimberly G. for winning the Bucky and Stu vs. The Mechanical Man Giveaway!
Last Week’s Journeys
Kellee
Also, lit circles/book clubs are starting to come to a close in the classroom (some students chose to take 3 weeks and other chose to do 4 weeks), so I have started finishing some of the books I was reading with my students.
My groups reading Flight #116 is Down! by Caroline B. Cooney originally wanted to do it over 4 weeks, but on Wednesday we were talking about the cliffhanger on the end of the page they chose to stop at, and they all decided they wanted to finish before Friday. It is quite a suspenseful and well put together book.
The Boy Who Saved Baseball book always wanted to read it in 3 weeks, and they all finished it in just over 2 because they wanted to know the end so badly. It was much deeper than just a baseball book, and I loved the end. My only complaint was the 3 boys who were reading the book like to read the end of books first (ACK!), so they spoiled stuff for me before I got there.
The Red Kayak group was one of my 3 week groups, and they were very jealous of me rereading other books with groups and not theirs. I did remember the basic premises of their book, but not enough to ask specific questions, so they asked me to read it. I brought it home Wednesday night and devoured it. It was the first time I’ve read it since I was a mom, and it is a whole different point of view!
Undercurrents‘s group is not finishing until this upcoming week, but I couldn’t remember how it ended, and I just couldn’t wait, so I finished reading it on Saturday (as soon as I could!). Willo Davis Roberts really knows how to put together a mystery!
I also was able to squeeze in my two library books, both third books from series that I love!
Finally, because I’ve been reading the lit circle/book club books, I realized I was a bit behind on the books I needed to read for review, so also read the books that I am reviewing this week. You can read about my thoughts of them later this week!
Ricki
I’ve had a busy week, but I was able to read the ARCs of some incredible picture books. All of these books are published by Penguin and will be available in August-September. I recommend all five highly and will be posting a full review of each a bit closer to their publication dates. It will be hard to hold out that long! I’ve listed them below in the order they will be published.
My Friend Maggie by Hannah E. Harrison hit me right to the core. I read it aloud to several family members who were visiting, and they were all in tears. It is a story that includes themes of friendship, strength, and bullying. I’ll be reading this one to my pre-service teachers, for sure.
The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles by Michelle Cuevas is a quiet book that will be lovely to use in classrooms. The teaching possibilities are endless for this text. When I closed the cover, I couldn’t help but sit in solitude for a few minutes. Even my toddler was utterly silent during and after the reading. It leaves much to think about.
Dear Dragon is the second book by Josh Funk that I have read, and I have fallen in love with his writing. He makes learning and reading very accessible to kids. I can imagine the giggles from students as this book is read aloud. Teachers won’t have to think very hard to find ways to integrate this text creatively in the classroom. I am excited for this one to come out!
The Water Princess by Susan Verde is a stunning story set in Africa. It connects with so many books that are taught in classrooms today (e.g. A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park). I would love to read this book to kids to increase their awareness of the world and to connect them to this beautiful story.
I’ve read Shy by Deborah Freedman at least 12 times since I received it two days ago. My son absolutely loves the story. When my husband walked him upstairs to bed, he didn’t even make it to the top of the stairs before he requested his reading choices for the night, “Race car books and Shy, please.” The book features a character who is Shy and who is unable to say hello to a yellow bird. I won’t give anything away, but this is a book that will teach many lessons to readers (and not just the shy ones!).
This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee
I still have three lit circle/book club books that I am reading:
I am almost done with Kingdom Keepers, but I am hardly into Heir Apparent and Peak (I have not been keeping up with them–for shame!), but I hope to chug through them this week. After I am done with these, I have no idea what I am going to read! I may jump into John David Anderson’s Ms. Bixby’s Last Day.
And I’m still reading Touching Spirit Bear with my 2nd period.
I’m still currently listening to Grimm’s Fairy Tales from Listening Library, and each story is from a different AMAZING narrator–I’m loving it!
Ricki
Tonight, I am going to start Doodle Adventures. It looks like it will be very entertaining.
I am still loving The Memory of Things. I spent the week working on a manuscript, so I spent my nights writing rather than reading. But I really miss this one and can’t wait to read more.
I am excited to start listening to Grimm’s Fairy Tales from Listening Library!
Upcoming Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Ten Books We Feel Differently About After Time Has Passed
Wednesday: Boyds Mills Press Nonfiction Picture Books
Thursday: Dump Truck Duck by Megan E. Bryant
Friday: Doodle Adventures: The Search for Slimy Space Slugs! by Mike Lowery
Sunday: Author Guest Post!
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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Wow, so many books that are new to me, except The Red Kayak, Kellee. I’ll have to look, but the title sounds familiar. Thanks for sharing them all, and have a good week!
All great reads, Linda! 🙂
A bunch were new to me before last week, too!
Kellee, this reminds me that I have never read Red Kayak and must. I see a copy peeking at me from my book shelf. Ricki, I am envious of these picture book ARCS I particularly want to get my hands on The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles And can’t wait to lay hands on Josh’s new book too! Happy Reading to you both!
It is intense! Enjoy if you get to it.
Carrie, both were awesome! I think I just got lucky by receiving them early. I think you will like both of them a lot!
Ricki, I am super jealous you read the new Harrison title already. I had the same reaction to Extraordinary Jane that you and your family had to My Friend Maggie so I’ll be sure to get the tissues ready when I read that one! 🙂
Beth, it’s strange–I don’t think the book was intended to be emotional, but it just touched us so powerfully!
Kellee, thanks for your comment last week. I would love to follow up with you this summer about teaching middle school readers!
I’d love to! Are you on Voxer?
Ms. Bixby! Oh, my. Cried so much, but I liked this one even though it was sad. You’ll love it. The picture book of Dorothea Lange looks good!
I cannot wait to read it! I love Anderson’s work.
The Lange picture book was phenomenal!
Wow, so many great books between the two of you! I don’t think I have read any of them yet.
Kellee, I am so jealous of all your classroom book groups! So much fun (except for those boys who read the ending first & then spoil it!). I really miss reading with my sons at night – we read so many amazing books together over the years. Our youngest graduates from high school next week, so I am getting sentimental!
Sue
Book By Book
So many good books for both of you. All the lit circle books bring back teaching memories. So many of them were books my students loved.
Now you two have me curious about Grimm Fairy Tales audio from Listening Library. I’ve been meaning to do an extensive of Fairy Tales since I have story ideas about them.