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.
Kellee:This week didn’t seem long, but when I think back a lot happened this week! I was able to finish two novels this week. Both were unique and well done, but VERY different. First I read Breakfast Served Anytime by Sarah Combs which was a good senior year /figuring out who you are book. Then I finished Playing for the Commandant by Suzy Zail which was about a young pianist who was chosen as the commandant’s pianist at Aushwitz-Birkenau. It was interesting to read them one after another because Breakfast was a very emotionally driven book written in almost a journal format while Playing was much more matter-of-fact.
On Mondays and Thursdays, Jim, Trent, and I are now going to the park to go for a walk (run for Jim), and Trent and I have been listening to audiobooks while we walk. Last Monday we had the pleasure of listening to Mercy Watson to the Rescue and Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride by Kate DiCamillo. I am always so blown away by DiCamillo’s ability to tell these perfect stories and use such perfect language. There is no question that she is one of the best around. Within all of our rereading we also read (then reread and reread) a new book he got for his birthday: Duck and GooseColors. I like reading it because Trent now says “quack quack” if you ask what a duck says, so this book is perfect to get him to say it.
Ricki: Happy Monday, friends! I am still working on my YAL grant and also a manuscript about the evolution of a struggling reader’s identity when she is exposed to YAL. It’s all fun stuff. I’ve been up every night until about 3am working on these (ah, the life of a mom!), so the writing has taken precedence to reading. I suspect I will get back in the grove within the next week or two. This week, Henry and I read a new book, Second Banana by Keith Graves. It tells the story of Bubbles, a monkey who is the top banana of the circus show, and his friend Oop, a gorilla who wants to be something more than second banana. Henry and I also read Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boynton a few times (I’ve been practicing my singing voice) and several pop-up and lift-the-flap books. He is a big fan of those books, and his grandmother keeps buying new ones.
This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee:I am almost done with The Family Romanov. It is such an eye opener! I am learning so much about the time period. I am also going to start When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds.
With Trent, we started listening to Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne while walking, so we’ll continue that on Monday.
Ricki:I am still working on Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil, but I love it. If I wasn’t so focused on writing YAL stuff, I would have devoured it long ago! Of course, East of Eden is still playing in my car. I think I am on disc ten, and I still love it. That Cathy is a memorable character!
Upcoming Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Top Ten Books for Readers Who Like Nonfiction
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!
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.
Kellee:Last week I finished The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters. Wow! Winters sure knows how to tell a compelling, bit-odd, unique story! So glad I read it, and I have loved talking about it with my student who also loved it.
With Trent, we read Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss over a couple of days. Man, what complicated tongue twisters! But they are actually kind of fun to read. Next to that, we reread whatever book he chose for us.
Ricki: I have been writing a grant related to young adult literature, so much of my time has been spent on that. I am looking to do some pretty hefty research and want to pay my participants. I did read one fun book I received from Macmillan called Presidential Misadventures: Poems that Poke Fun at the Man in Charge. The book features a short poem and humorous drawing about each president. I learned a lot and giggled quite a few times. I read this one aloud to my son and husband, and they enjoyed it. 🙂
This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee:I am currently listening to The Family Romanov by Candace Fleming, and I am just enthralled in the history of the Romanov family. It is just as juicy as any fiction book out there! I also am about halfway through Breakfast Served Anytime by Sarah Combs. I really like the smart, funny female lead in this one. I look forward to finishing it this week.
Ricki:I am still reading Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil and listening to East of Eden by John Steinbeck (22 or 23 discs, so it is a long endeavor).
Upcoming Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Top Ten Books We Would Classify As ALL TIME FAVORITE BOOKS Read In The Past 3 Years
Wednesday: A First Year Full of Books Video: Trent’s Journey Through Books
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!
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 Book Related Problems We Have
Friday: How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Birthday by Jane Yolen (& Can You Believe Trent is ONE?!)
**Click on any picture/link to view the post**
Last Week’s Journeys
Kellee:This was a crazy week for us! I was planning for Trent’s birthday party all week, so I didn’t get much reading done though I did finish listening to The Lion of Little Rock by Kristin Levine which was so wonderful! I am so glad that I listened to it.
The only new book Trent and I read this week was How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Birthday? by Jane Yolen which I reviewed on Friday. It was a great birthday book.
Ricki:This week, I finished another book on my #mustreadin2015 list: The Secret Hum of a Daisy by Tracy Holczer. The writing was stunning, and I was happy to go back and read her guest post from last year. Everyone in my YA book club loved it, and we had a fun time discussing it. I suspect many of you have already read it, but if you haven’t I highly recommend it. I also finished The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers by Johnny Saldaña. My head is spinning at all of the coding possibilities. It was a good read, overall, though.
This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee:I am still reading The Cure for Dreaming which I am very much enjoying. Cat Winters is such a unique writer! In the car, I am going to start listening to The Family Romanov which I am very much looking forward to.
Ricki:Kellee has been telling me to read Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil for quite some time. I finally got around to ordering it via Interlibrary Loan and am excited to read it!
Upcoming Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Book Heroines
Wednesday: Trent & Kellee’s Favorite Picture Books: The First Year
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!
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.
Kellee:I read The Crossover this week, and I am so glad I did! I am so happy that a book that won the Newbery is one that I love and that is accessible to my students. Oh, and it is diverse! I cannot wait to review this book because this is a book that belongs in a classroom.
With Trent, we read Pete the Cat probably 15 times, Fifteen Animals probably 10 times, and Personal Penguin probably 5 times. The boy finally has favorite books! I know it will eventually become tedious, right now I am loving that he loves these books.
Ricki: I was boring this week. I read 200 pages in a manual about coding qualitative data and read half of a book on qualitative data analysis. Henry has started a new sleeping trend. We read the typical 4-5 books together. Then, we put him down to sleep. He cries and cries unless we read another 4-5 books. We have tried starting off with ten books. Nope. The break—when Mommy and Daddy say goodnight—is required between the ten books. I am not quite sure how to break this trend, but hey, at least the kid wants to read! His current favorites are Trucks by Roger Priddy (a slide and find book), B is for Bear by Roger Priddy (a fantastic alphabet book) and Where’s Spot by Eric Hill (a lift the flap book). He reads each of these at least 15 times per day.
This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee:I am still listening the The Lions of Little Rock, and I am loving it! I am actually listening to it at the same time one of my students is reading it, so I am really enjoying chatting with her about it. As for what book I’m going to read this week, I am going to have to decide, but I think I am going to grab The Cure for Dreaming because I student loved it, and I would love to chat with her about it as well. Trent and I will probably continue reading the same books, but I do want to get Fox in Socks in there because my aunt gave it to Trent and haven’t gotten to it yet.
Ricki:This week, I will be finishing The Secret Hum of a Daisy by Tracy Holczer. My friend, Wendy, gave me several new picture books for Henry, so I am excited to get to those, too.
Upcoming Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Top Ten Book Related Problems We Have
Friday: How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Birthday by Jane Yolen (& Can You Believe Trent is ONE?!)
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!
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.
This week, I also had a very good reading week! First, I read Baseballogy by Kevin Sylvester which was a nonfiction informational book about baseball that threw in a bit of humor and some wonderful graphics. As a baseball fan, I really enjoyed it. Then, I finished listening to Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick (one of my #mustreadin2015), and it, like her other book Sold, will never leave my heart. It is so powerful! On Friday, in one sitting, I read the Schneider winner Girls Like Us by Gail Giles which has voices that are hard to get out of your head, and it truly makes you think and look at the world around you. Finally, on Saturday night, also in one sitting, I read the heart-wrenching The Secret Hum of a Daisy by Tracy Holczer (also one of my #mustreadin2015) which is about grief and the strength to overcome it.
With Trent, we did a lot of rereads this week (our current favorites are Fifteen Animals by Sandra Boynton and Book of Sleep by Sung Il Na), but we also read two new books. Last Sunday we read Freight Train by Donald Crews (recommended by Linda B!) which is a fantastic book about colors and trains and movement. Coincidentally, Donald Crews just won the Wilder Award, and I can see why. I think we will need to read more of his in the future. Then, we read Peanuts: A Scanimation Book by Rufus Butler Seder. Trent really likes the moving aspects of the book, but he also just really wants to rip the page open and see what the “secret” is.
Ricki:I completely agree with Kellee about the ALA Youth Media Awards! We have blogged about some of the books together that she posted above, but I want to add how thrilled I was about A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd (which I have mentioned in about fifteen posts, but apparently I never gave it a full review–shame on me!), brown girl dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (for its multiple awards), The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley (for its two awards), You Are (Not) Small by Anna Kang, and How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon. I am excited that many of the books are on my #mustreadin2015 list!
This week, I read two great books that will be published later this year. Look! by Jeff Mack has only two words, but the story is very meaningful. It is a story about friendship, technology, and the power of reading! I also adored the whimsical nature of By Mouse and Frog by Deborah Freedman. This is going to be a favorite this year. It is also a great book about friendship, but it is very different for Look! it teaches about both listening and creativity. Lastly, I loved Brad Meltzer’s I am Jackie Robinson. I can see why everyone has been raving about it. The format was lovely!
This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee:I am going to start listening The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine this week, but it will probably take 2 or 3 to finish. As for reading, I am going to have to see what fancies me. My friend, Vivi Barnes, just had her second book Paper or Plastic come out, and I may pick that one up or I could go with a #mustreading2015 or another book from my numerous piles–we’ll see!
Ricki:A group of friends wanted to do a book club, and I told them I would only join if they made it YAL only. They agreed—yes! Our first book is The Secret Hum of Daisy by Tracy Holczer which I am really looking forward to!
Upcoming Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Top Ten Things We Like/Dislike When It Comes To Romances In Books
Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “Three Bowls of Porridge” by Lisa Heathfield, Author of Seed
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!
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.
CONGRATULATIONS, CASSIE LARSON for winning the Candlewick Giveaway of 6 YA novels!
Kellee:This week I was able to get some more reading in which really does make my week better! I finished John David Anderson’s The Dungeoneers, and it is EPIC! You’ll want to read it; I promise. Part of the problem with reading an ARC, though, is I now have to wait even longer for the sequel. I also read Bob Shea’s new early reader Ballet Cat: The Totally Secret Secret which was such a great, funny book. Elephant and Piggie fans will definitely like this one. Trent and I struggled a bit with finding reading time every day this week. He loves books and flips through them and plays with them often, but this week we had trouble with sitting down before bedtime and reading because of business. However, this week we did read a DK ABC Baseball book and a Thomas the Tank Engine book (which was perfect because this weekend, My Gym had the electronic Thomas out!).
Ricki: I finished Audacity by Melanie Crowder. It is an inspirational book in verse based on the true story of Clara Lemleich. She was a Russian Jewish immigrant who was forced to work in horrible factory conditions in the early 1900s. Clara stood up for her rights and fought with the union. I will provide a full review soon, and I absolutely recommend it.
This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee:I am still listening to Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick. It is such a tough book, but I am sucked in! I also hope to read A Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters and/or Girls Like Us by Gail Giles. With Trent, I hope to make sure to have more time to read to him this week.
Ricki:I am excited to start The Secret Hum of Daisy by Tracy Holczer. I know many of you have read it, and I have heard it is wonderful! I also have to read half of a book on coding. Jealous? 🙂
Upcoming Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Top Ten Graphic Novels We Can’t Believe We Haven’t Read
Wednesday: More Great Nonfiction from 2014
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!
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.
Congratulations to
KATIE from THE LOGONAUTS
for winning a copy of Emmanuel’s Dream
Kellee:I finished 3 new picture books with Trent this week: This is Silly! by Gary Taxali, Pete the Cat and the New Guy by James Dean, and Baby Bear’s Books by Jane Yolen. This is Silly is quite an odd book, but has some wonderful illustrations; Pete the Cat and the New Guy has a good lesson, but isn’t as good as the other Pete books; and Baby Bear’s Books is about a young bears love of books. I did start reading The Dungeoneers by John David Anderson and listening to Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick, but I wasn’t able to finish them.
Ricki:I started back in school this week. I am in my fourth semester of the Ph.D. program, and it is getting tougher as each semester goes on. I will be sure to keep up with my reading though—it makes me feel alive! I did a lot of reading in a grant proposal book, so I am a bit behind in my pleasure reading. I did read three great picture books. My favorite this week was Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell (a great book to teach bullying). But I also very much enjoyed Me…Jane by Patrick McDonnell and Up and Down by Oliver Jeffers.
This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee:I hope to finished The Dungeoneers and Never Fall Down. The Dungeoneers is really starting to get good! It is about a young boy who, in place of a punishment for pick-pocketting, is asked to join a guild. He is currently being tested to see how good he is. Loving the characters! Never Fall Down, on the other hand, is not an especially fun book, but it is eye-opening, heart-wrenching, and gripping. I never want to stop listening once I start. Hopefully I have enough time this week to listen to a good chunk.
Ricki:I know I will finish Audacity by Melanie Crowder this week. It is a beautiful book in verse, and I absolutely love it. I almost finished it the other night, but an amazing, incredible, (teething,) baby woke up and needed his mama.
Upcoming Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Top Ten Books We’d Love to Read With Our Book Club (If WeHad A Book Club)
Wednesday: Mock Sibert Winner Announced!
Sunday: Guest Post: “Beyond Setting: A Couple of Thoughts and Some Fun Writing Prompts” by Tricia Springstubb, author of Moonpenny Island
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!
GIVEAWAY! We are also happy to be able to offer an amazing giveaway from Candlewick Press:
TIME MAGAZINE ANNOUNCES TOP 100 YOUNG ADULT AND CHILDREN’S BOOKS OF ALL-TIME
CANDLEWICK PRESS EARNS 10 “BEST OF” NODS IN THE DISTINGUISHED RANKINGS
One of the most prominent news magazines in the U.S., TIME magazine, has declared we are living in a “golden age” of children’s and young adult books. A claim supported by ongoing sales reports that books for young readers and teens continue to dominate the bestseller charts and lead industry growth as they find wide audiences beyond their intended age demographics.
With the assistance of industry experts, reviewers, and major literacy non-profits, TIME has compiled a list to honor the all-time classics, both old and new.
Candlewick Press, a leading independent children’s book publisher based near Boston, Massachusetts, is proud to announce ten titles from its publishing list have been selected for inclusion – all remarkable works of writing and illustrating – that have established themselves as enduring favorites via critical and commercial success. Both National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Kate DiCamillo, and celebrated novelist, Patrick Ness, have the remarkable achievement of having two of their works selected. Candlewick’s titles include:
Anderson takes on consumerism in this smart, savage satire that has captivated readers with its view of an imagined future that veers unnervingly close to the here and now.
Kate DiCamillo takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the depths of the ocean to the net of a fisherman, from the bedside of an ailing child to the bustling streets of Memphis. Along the way, we are shown a miracle — that even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to love, to lose, and to love again.
Rob, sickly and devastated by the death of his mother, moves to a hotel with his father for a new start. But after he comes across a caged tiger in the woods outside the motel, the unexpected find helps him overcome his sadness and open up to a new friend.
A dystopian thriller follows a boy and girl on the run from a town where all thoughts can be heard — and the passage to manhood embodies a horrible secret.
An unforgettable debut novel that follows an antisocial cinephile as she meets a quick-witted artist who’s savvy enough to see through her sci-fi disguise.
Told completely in dialogue, this delicious take on the classic repetitive tale plays out in sly illustrations laced with visual humor– and winks at the reader with a wry irreverence that will have kids of all ages thrilled to be in on the joke.
Follow a girl on an elaborate flight of fancy in a wondrously illustrated, wordless picture book about self-determination — and unexpected friendship.
* A Caldecott Honor Book
Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
Michelle Knudsen’s disarming story, illustrated by the matchless Kevin Hawkes in an expressive timeless style, will win over even the most ardent of rule keepers. An affectionate storybook tribute to that truly wonderful place: the library.
Imagine the fun of going on a bear hunt-through tall, wavy grass (SWISHY SWISHY!); swampy mud (SQUELCH SQUELCH!); and a swirling whirling snowstorm (HOOOO WOOOO!) – only to find a “real” bear waiting at the end of the trail! For brave hunters and bear lovers, a classic chant-aloud.
ABOUT CANDLEWICK PRESS Candlewick Press is an independent, employee-owned publisher based in Somerville, Massachusetts. For over twenty years, Candlewick has published outstanding children’s books for readers of all ages, including books by award-winning authors and illustrators such as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Kate DiCamillo, M. T. Anderson, Jon Klassen, and Laura Amy Schlitz; the widely acclaimed Judy Moody, Mercy Watson, and ’Ology series; and favorites such as Guess How Much I Love You, Where’s Waldo?, and Maisy. Candlewick is part of the Walker Books Group, together with Walker Books UK in London and Walker Books Australia, based in Sydney and Auckland. Visit Candlewick online at www.candlewick.com
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