It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
Sharing Picture Books, Early Readers, Middle Grade Books, and Young Adult Books for All Ages!
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop co-hosted by Unleashing Readers and Teach Mentor Texts which focuses on sharing books marketed for children and young adults. It offers opportunities to share and recommend books with each other.
The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.
We encourage you to write your own post sharing what you’re reading, link up below, leave a comment, and support other IMWAYR bloggers by visiting and commenting on at least three of the other linked blogs.
Happy reading!
Tuesday: Stop Asian Hate: Anti-Racist Strategies
Thursday: Encounter by Brittany Luby, Illustrated by Michaela Goade
Thursday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: A Tale of Magic by Chris Colfer
**Click on any picture/link to view the post**
Kellee
First, I finished my #BitAboutBooks Winter Challenge which I shared on my #MustReadin2021 post, and I am excited to take on the Spring one! You can learn more about the Bit About Books Spring Challenge here.
Now onto what I have been reading lately! I haven’t updated since before Spring Break, so this is a few weeks of reading:
- Trent and I are listening to the Captain Underpants books at bedtime, and we finished book 3. Now onto book 4!
- As you can tell, I am enjoying the Promised Neverland series still 😊
- The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani is a spectacular book! I now understand all the raving! It is so heartbreaking and informative and beautiful. Just so much in one package!
- When I mentioned to a few of my students that I hadn’t read anything by Leigh Bardugo and I was thinking about reading the Shadow and Bone trilogy, they kind of freaked out on me and said I HAD to read it, so I figured I would jump in with two feet over spring break, and I am glad that I did. I understand the appeal of this high fantasy trilogy, and I look forward to recommending them to more readers and to reading more within the universe.
- Trent and I had not watched the Mac’s Book Club Show in a while, so we hopped on and saw that we missed the newest Jack book, Jack Gets Zapped, so we remedied that! I think this Jack one might be my favorite. Since I didn’t really like the first couple but they are definitely growing on me, I think of the beginning of them as the pilot 😂
- Titan Clash by Sigmund Brouwer was recommended to me by a student who has worked very hard with me this year to find the love of reading (and we’re getting there!), and he though I would enjoy the book. Good mystery! I can see why the Orca Sports books are popular.
- My First Day by Phùng Nguyên Quang, illustrated by Huỳnh Kim Liên is a BEAUTIFUL picture book! Those illustrations are exquisite! And I loved the story about the protagonist’s first day and the importance of water in that journey.
- Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls by Beth McMullen was recommended to me by a student last year, and I finally read it (yay! I was so excited to message her and let her know!). It is a fun spy mystery which I now know some readers I can recommend it to!
- Primer by Jennifer Muro & Thomas Krajewski, illustrated by Gretel Lusky is a fun graphic novel about a superhero-by-mistake that saves the day.
- Bindu’s Bindi’s by Supriya Kelkar, illustrated by Parvati Pillai has multiple purposes. First, it is such a sweet story of Bindu and her Nani. I love their bond over everything, including bindis. It is also an important story about being proud of who you and your culture are. The bindi represents this in the story. Those two purposes together made for a wonderful story to share with kids!
To learn more about any of these books, check out my 2021 Goodreads Challenge page or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.
Ricki
Game, Set, Sisters!: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams by Jay Leslie tells the remarkable story of this power duo. I didn’t know much about the Williams sisters, and I was really grateful to learn more. My kids were engrossed in the book!
In Trillions of Trees by Kurt Cyrus, readers will be planting trillions of trees–anywhere they can find a space for them! This is a perfect book that is just in time for Earth Day!
What the Road Said by Cleo Wade is a beautifully instructive book with advice for the road to life. It reads quietly and powerfully.
After my kids read Something’s Wrong by Jory John, they wanted to share it with others. It is silly and fun. It teaches readers about what it means to be a good, supportive friend. As a bonus, there are lots of silly pictures of animals in their underwear!
As I was reading Almost American Girl by Robin Ha, I found myself scribbling notes. This graphic novel will knock your socks off. It is so beautifully done. I will be using this one in my college class next semester.
I wish every teenager (and adult) would read Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki. This book belongs in every classroom. It offers so much insight into the toxicity of relationships. It’s so, so good. I will read this one again and again.
My 4-year-old son loved reading Smell My Foot! by Cece Bell aloud to me. It is a silly book that makes reading fun and accessible. This one is great for early readers.
Kellee
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Reading: Promised Neverland #15 & It Doesn’t Take a Genius by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Listening: Apple by Eric Gansworth
Listening with Trent: Captain Underpants #4 by Dav Pilkey
Ricki
Listening: Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
Listening with 7yo: Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri (This one is a biiiit too old for him, but we are both loving it.)
Listening with 4yo: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis (His request)
Reading in Print: Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam
Tuesday: Blog Tour with Giveaway, Educators’ Guide, and Review!: The House That Wasn’t There by Elana K. Arnold
Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Game, Set, Sisters! by Jay Leslie, Illustrated by Ebony Glenn
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 feel like I should do more reading challenges. They always sound fun. And I’m intrigued with Almost American Girl. Thanks for sharing all these books.
Welcome back, Kellee! The books you’ve been reading sound great, especially Bindu’s Bindis. Ricki, I completely agree about Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me—I read it last fall, and I was utterly blown away by it—the art, the insight, the fun, everything! I also read Almost American Girl, which is phenomenal as well. Thank you both for the great post and round-up!
Kellee, I’m always so jealous of your reading! I did ok over Spring Break, but school brain is such a real thing this year! It’s hard to focus!
Ricki, I just got the new Jory John! Looking forward to reading it!
Kellee, I’m excited that you are reading Leigh Bardugo! I have only read the Six of Crows series, but Shadow and Bone is on my list.
Ricki, I adored both Almost American Girl and Laura Dean!
Happy reading to both of you this week.