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

  

  

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Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: I read exactly what I had planned this week which is always nice. I finished the Unsolved Mysteries from History by Jane Yolen and look forward to reviewing them over the next 3 weeks. I also finished Stained by Cheryl Rainfield which I’ll review this week (with a fun giveaway!). It was such an intense book; I finished it in just over a day.

Ricki: This week, I finished listening to Enchanted by Alethea Kontis. It is a fun story that reads like a fairy tale. As I read it, I kept flashing to Cinderella. I think this book would be great to read to children before bedtime. I also read All Our Yesterdays by debut author, Cristin Terrill. This is a great time-travel science fiction, and I suspect it will be extremely popular with students. It is the first book in a series. I recommend checking this one out! I’ll be reviewing it on Thursday and will be sure to include some teacher tools for navigation. This would make a great literature circle text or book club book.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I started The Real Boy this weekend and am loving Anne Ursu’s writing just as much, if not more, in this novel. She just knows how to put words on a page! After Real Boy I have Spartan & the Green Egg by Nabila Khashoggi to read as well as Anubis Speaks: A Guide to the Afterlife by the Egyptian God of the Dead by Vicky Alvear Shecter which I KNOW I’ll love because I am fascinated with mythology.

Ricki: It seems to be one of those times in my life where I am reading too many books at once. I am listening to Annexed by Sharon Dogar. This book tells Peter van Pel’s perspective (from The Diary of Anne Frank). I am enjoying it thus far and will keep you posted. I am also reading The Spectacular Now in preparation for the movie release, and I also want to start Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick. I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up straying to a fourth book…or a fifth…

Upcoming Week’s Posts

   

 

 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!

 and 

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

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Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: Guys Read: Other Worlds is by far the best of the Guys Read series so far! I will be reviewing it this week, but I just had to start with that. You will here more about it on Friday. I also read some really great picture books which I’ll be sharing with you this week and in the future: The Boy Who Loved Math by Deborah Heiligman, Ol’ Mama Squirrel by David Ezra Stein, Crankee Doodle by Tom Angleberger, Journey by Aaron Becker, and Grumbles from the Forest by Jane Yolen & Rebecca Kai Dotlight.

Ricki: This week, I read about twenty journal articles about education. I learned a lot about the disconnect between what the university teaches and what student teachers learn in the classroom. I’ve also been reading a lot about the Common Core and how it fits (and doesn’t fit) in the classroom. For YAL, I finished Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater. I will share more in my review on Thursday. It was a great sequel and a bit different from the first book, which was very interesting.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: This week I am going to reading Stained by Cheryl Rainfield in preparation for a review (and giveaway!). I also have 3 more Unsolved Mystery from History books by Jane Yolen & Heidi Elisabet Yolen Stemple which I plan to read and review 3 Wednesdays in a row for you all. I’m sure they’ll be as good as the The Salem Witch Trials so I’ll love them.

Ricki: I have big goals this week. First, I want to finish listening to Enchanted by Alethea Kontis. It is a very fun fairy tale that has been making my drives to school very enjoyable. I’ll share more next Monday. Then, I want to read a sci-fi book by debut author, Cristin Terrill. It is called All our Yesterdays, and it looks awesome. The cover makes me reminisce about Divergent. Lastly, I plan to read The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp. I started it this week, and it is a bit bizarre but quite entertaining. I just need to learn to balance my YAL with the academic reading for school.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

 

  

 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!

 and 

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

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Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: A valley of reading to make up for my peak last week—no finished books this week. I blame being sick this weekend, because I usually get most of my reading done on Friday nights and Saturdays. Plus side, I am reading a really great book—Guys Read: Other Worlds edited by Jon Scieszka which, so far, is my favorite Guys Read. I’m really enjoying every story so far!

Ricki: This week, I finished listening to Grave Mercy by R.L. LaFevers. It was dark, mysterious, and purely wonderful. If you like fantasy, I highly recommend it. I listened to a read-aloud of The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson. This one brought me close to tears. I loved this children’s book. Lastly, I finished Trash by Andy Mulligan. I’ve always wanted to read this one, and I am glad that I did. All three books were great reads.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: This week I am going to finish Guys Read: Other Worlds and then start Stained by Cheryl Rainfield. I also have a pile of picture books I want to read this week. Should be a good reading week!

Ricki: After my husband falls asleep, I steal the Kindle each night and read a bit more of Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater. I also just started The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp. I read this while my husband has the Kindle. 🙂 Lastly, I just downloaded Enchanted by Alethea Kontis to my phone. This was a free AudioSync book this summer. I plan to start this one on the drive to school tomorrow!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

 

 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!

 and 

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

 

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Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: I am so excited! I had a great reading week for the first time in a very long time. This week I read 2 novels, 2 picture books, 1 graphic novel, and 1 nonfiction book!!! Woot!!! I believe I have Jo Knowles to thank because it was her two novels that were the first time I just sat and read for hours since the spring. Living with Jackie Chan and Jumping Off Swings were just brilliant and you should read them both. The picture books I read were Snatchabook by Helen Docherty and Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Halloween by Melanie Watt (both which I’ll review soon). Finally, I read Waluk by Emilio Ruiz (which I’ll review this week) and The Solar System Through Infographics by Nadia Higgins (which all teachers should buy!). Phew! Love being able to write about that many books!

Ricki: I was not as successful as Kellee. This week, I started graduate school for my doctoral degree, and I was overwhelmed with work. I spent many late hours (and early mornings) in my office, and when I came home, I fell asleep right away. I thought I would finish Dream Thieves, but then my husband asked to take the Kindle on a trip this weekend, so I had to start a new book. I didn’t finish any books, but I am almost done with three of them (see the next section).

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: Hm. It is hard to follow up the type of week I had. I need to make a list of the books I have lined up to blog about and read them in order of when the blogging dates are… I’ll let you know next week what I get to!

Ricki: I plan to finish Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater. My husband returns home tomorrow with the Kindle (hoorah!). I am also halfway through Trash by Andy Mulligan, and I have 3 more discs left (out of 12) of the audiobook, Grave Mercy. I am in love with this series. How the heck did I miss it? I hope you all had a better reading week than I did!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

  

 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!

 and 

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

 

 

**Click on any picture to view the post**

 

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: Full on confession: I didn’t finish anything this week. This was the first week with students at school, and my new job is showing to be even busier than I thought. Our school is a digital curriculum pilot so I’ve been working on helping get the iPads out to all of the students. I’m also mentoring two new (to our school) teachers as well as two teachers who were at our school next year. Mentoring includes not only the reading aspects (hence the reading coach) including our new mandated curriculum, but also help with the implementation of digital curriculum. On top of all of this, I’m teaching yearbook and I’m working on getting ready for my club to start. PHEW! Because of all of this, I was at school most days until after 5, came home and had dinner, and, because of exhaustion, in bed by 9ish.

I’m actually not beating myself up about not finishing anything this week because of how crazy it is. The only reason why I’m sad is I really wanted to finish Living with Jackie Chan so I could review it with Ricki this week! Oh well. When I do read it, I’ll just go back and review it. [I also worry that if I don’t get a reading, I won’t have anything to review!! Hopefully my routine will fall back into place soon.]

Ricki: This week, I finished Rose under Fire by Elizabeth Wein. It was incredible. I just finished writing my blog post for next week, but I have to tell you all that it is going to go on my “favorites” bookshelf. I’d love to talk about it with anyone else who has finished it. I loved Code Name Verity, but this one exceeded my expectations. Wow.

I also finished Black Ants and Buddhists by Mary Cowhey. It is a great book to help teachers enact social justice in their classrooms. While it is directed to elementary school teachers, I would argue that teachers of all grades will find nuggets of wisdom in the text. It taught me to be more socially and culturally responsive to my students.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I’m not making too many specific plans this week because I feel like I keep making plans and then not meeting them. I do hope to get to Jackie Chan (and finish it!!), and I do have a pile of picture books from the library. Obviously, I just need to get back into the swing of working full days and reading as well—I think picture books would be a great way to help myself get back into a routine and then hopefully it can move to novels.

Ricki: I start graduate school this week, and I am so frightened! I just ordered one of the textbooks, and it is over a thousand pages. I am not complaining because I know I am going to learn so much on this adventure, but I can’t help but be terrified! This week, my goal is to finish Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater. Usually, I list at least two books, but I am not sure how busy my days will be. Rather than overwhelm myself with expectations, I will finish this book, and read much more if my nights are free. Usually, the first week of graduate school is introductions and syllabi review, but I am not sure if that will be much different for doctoral degrees.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

 

 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!

 and 

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

**Click on any picture to view the post**

 

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: YAY! I finished Rump by Liesl Shurtliff and I enjoyed it so much. I am so glad that I am on Twitter because they put this book on my radar. I really enjoy fairy tale retellings and this was a great one. I cannot wait to review it for you all! I also read The Day the Crayons Quits and Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great and once again I thank my friends for sharing these titles with me and I cannot wait to share them with you!

Ricki: This week, I read an incredible book called Into that Forest by Louis Nowra. It is about a young girl who gets lost in the Tasmanian bush with her friend. They are adopted by two tigers and slowly morph into feral children. I can’t recommend it enough. It reminded me a bit of one of my favorite books, Endangered by Eliot Schrefer.

Then, I read Living with Jackie Chan by Jo Knowles. If you’ve read Jumping off Swings, you have to check this one out. It is told from Josh’s perspective, after the baby is born. Oh, and if you haven’t read Jumping off Swings, you still have to check this one out. It can stand alone and is incredibly good. This book will stick with me for a very long time.

 

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: Ah, school is back! The teachers were back this last week and the students start today. I have a new role as a reading coach which is so exciting; however, the work is so different than what I’ve done in the past, so I feel so, so busy. My hope this week is to finish Living with Jackie Chan by Jo Knowles this week then move onto either Guys Read: Other Worlds, Real Boy, or Stained – I haven’t decided yet.

Ricki: This week, I started Rose under Fire by Elizabeth Wein. I loved Code Name Verity for its complexity and depth, and this one is equally excellent. Unlike Code Name Verity, I immediately got into Rose under Fire. From the very beginning, I was hooked. I am actually itching to get back to it right now! Much of this story takes place in a concentration camp rather than an interrogation room, but the books are quite similar in their format and topic. That said, I am learning so much, so it is truly worth the read, especially if you liked Code Name Verity. Elizabeth Wein is a wealth of knowledge!

I am about finished with a professional development text, Black Ants and Buddhists by Mary Cowhey. This book is very inspiring. She gives great advice about how to enact social justice in the classroom. Even as a high school teacher, I could pull many ideas from this text, which is directed to elementary school teachers.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

  

 

 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!

 and 

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

  

   

 

**Click on any picture to view the post**

 

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: Wow – this was a crazy week for me. First, I had a two day training on the new mandated curriculum for my county’s reading classes. Then, on Wednesday I did 6 hours of online training followed by a 6 hour drive to South Florida for a Lifetouch Yearbook Workshop on Thursday and Friday. Then on Friday I drove the 6 hours back home. The training and workshop led to me working all day and really frying my brain! This meant, it wasn’t until Saturday that I did any reading for pleasure. Since then I finally finished Feynman and also read The Salem Witch Trials: An Unsolved Mystery from History by Jane Yolen and Barbed Wire Baseball by Marissa Moss which were both really, really great nonfiction picture books. I’ll be reviewing all of these for you later.

Ricki: This week, I finished Double Vision by F.T. Bradley. It was a great middle grade book that will be enjoyable to kids who love adventure and investigative stories. I agreed to participate in a blog tour for the book in October, so I will share more about it then! I also read Jake by Olivia Carter. It was one of those books that kept me guessing about plot details. I can see 8th-9th graders enjoying it. Stop back on Thursday for the review and a book giveaway!

Lastly, I finished The Nazi Hunters by Neal Bascomb. This was an incredible work of narrative nonfiction. I am a tough critic when it comes to nonfiction because I find I become easily disengaged. I stayed up until late in the night, reading about the Nazi Hunters who were seeking to capture Adolf Eichmann, one of the leading organizers during the Holocaust. I will post a review on August 22nd (next Thursday), but be sure to get your hands on this one when it is published on August 27th. It will change many of your fiction-loving students into nonfiction believers. 🙂

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee:  Back to school, back to school, jiggity jig! I know I have not been reading very much, but I know it is going to slow down even more now that school is starting again. Also, with car pooling (which I hope to do with 2 different people as much as possible this year) I know that audiobooks are a no-go this year. So, much of my reading right now is just going to be day-to-day. My plan for my next book is Rump by Liesl Shurtliff followed by Doll Bones by Holly Black. I also have 2 picture books to read: Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great by Bob Shea and The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt.

Ricki: This week, I plan to tackle more professional development reading. I received a copy of Black Ants and Buddhists by Mary Cowhey. I believe it is aimed for elementary school teachers, but I am teaching a cohort of elementary school students this semester, and this is the course’s required reading. I’ve heard great things. Has anyone else read this one? I also want to read Into that Forest by Louis Nowra. I signed up for the ARC on NetGalley because the summary looked so neat! I’ve never read a book with a setting in the Tasmanian bush! This one is due to be published on September 3rd.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

  

 

 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!

and