IMWAYR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
For readers of all ages

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how 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. The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

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!

 

Wednesday: Educators’ Guide for Sneaks by Amy Tern

Sunday: “The Book That Taught Me to Ask WHAT IF?” by Jonathan White, Author of Secret of the Second Shelf

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

Kellee

It’s my week off! You can learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

Young Adult

I enjoyed Gail Jarrow’s Spirit Sleuths, which explored the impact of magicians and detectives on ghost hoaxes.

The Pools by e. lockhart is an eery and symbolic novel that explores self-harm with the use of birds. It is a very powerful text, and I found it to be unforgettable.

If you are teaching The Crucible, you absolutely need to read (and include) Joy McCullough’s Suffer a Witch. It is her memoir of sexual assault, and layered within are the stories of the accusations of witches across time and place.

Adult

Because Margaret Atwood is speaking at the NCTE convention this year, I reread The Handmaid’s Tale! I love this book.

Adult Romance

I read the first book in Elsie Silver’s Rose Hill series, and I jumped to the fourth book, Wild Card, because I was getting a book for my birthday. I really liked this book a lot and found myself captivated by the romance! It made me want to do yoga! Elsie Silver is very talented at writing characters.

Joss Richard’s Let’s Kiss and Tell is a sweet romance that was very fun!

I don’t usually read historical romances, but this one was on a GoodReads challenge list. Sophia Benoit’s The Very Definition of Love is about a woman who is making a dictionary of all of the romantic words she doesn’t know. It was a great read.

Count me in for any bookstore romance, and I liked Brittanée Nicole’s Bonfire & Bliss Bookstore a lot!

I Reread These Texts to Teach Them Last Week!

I used Maia Kobabe’s Gender Queer in my Banned Books and Censorship class this week, and it fostered a LOT of conversation! The students loved it.

I always start with Angeline Boulley’s Firekeeper’s Daughter as an anchor text because it allows for great critical analyses. It is also a widely loved text, so I really enjoy discussing it with students.

We discussed Maria van Lieshout’s Song of Blackbird in one of the book groups, and it was widely appreciated. It gives students a lot to talk about!

Currently reading with my son: Everything’s Not Lost by Frederick Joseph

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Writing from the Margins” by Romina Garber, Author of Lobizona & Cazadora

Link up below and go check out what everyone else is reading. Please support other bloggers by viewing and commenting on other linked blogs. If you post about your Monday post, tag the post with #IMWAYR!

  and

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
For readers of all ages

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how 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. The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

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!

 

Wednesday: Sofia’s YA Book Nook: Guard Your Heart by Sue Divin

Sunday: “Empathy and Gratitude Through Immigration Stories” by Nazanin Agange Ford, Author of My America Blooms

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

Kellee

I am seeing the Cubs play in Miami this weekend, so I wasn’t able to do IMWAYR today.
GO CUBS GO! ⚾

You can learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

This is my week off; I’ll see you next week!

 

Wednesday: Educators’ Guide for Sneaks by Amy Tern

Sunday: “The Book That Taught Me to Ask WHAT IF?” by Jonathan White, Author of Secret of the Second Shelf

Link up below and go check out what everyone else is reading. Please support other bloggers by viewing and commenting on other linked blogs. If you post about your Monday post, tag the post with #IMWAYR!

  and

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
For readers of all ages

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how 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. The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

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!

Wednesday: A Cheeky Reading List of Hilarious Picture Books About Butts from Sourcebooks Kids

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Teaching the Next Generation About September 11th” by Jacqueline Joyce, Author of Smoke at the Pentagon

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

Kellee

It’s my week off! You can always learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

It’s back to school, and I am very busy! I will update about my books next time!

Wednesday: Sofia’s YA Book Nook: Guard Your Heart by Sue Divin

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Empathy and Gratitude Through Immigration Stories” by Nazanin Agange Ford, Author of My America Blooms

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?
For readers of all ages

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how 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. The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

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!

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “The Child Who Feels Different: What They Need from Adults in the Room” by Dr. Nahal Delpassand, Author of The Seasons of Little Tree

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

Kellee

Picture Books

• Underwearwolf by Gideon Sterer, Illustrated by Charles Santoso: This book has so much going for it! 1) Underwear is a guarantee pick up. 2) A tad bit scary because he’s a werewolf–that’ll be loved! 3) An adventure with some humor; that’s everyone’s favorite! In addition, the illustrations are perfect for the story!
• How to Train Your Evil Robot by Joy McCullough, Illustrated by Eduardo Medeiros: I am going to get this book for my middle schoolers, and it is great for primary too! It is a graphic novel-esque picture book with a diabolical robot who wants to take over the world but has a young girl who is not going to let it. Throughout the story, the reader learns more and more about AI. This primer is perfect for getting kids thinking and learning about AI.

• So Many Questions: Abuelita Becomes a US Citizen by Belen Medina, Illustrated by Heidi Moreno: This older picture book is a great companion to social studies because it talks about citizenship and has all of the questions on the citizenship test. Readers who are from immigrant families or young kids who are close to their grandparents will also connect with Anita’s focus on helping her abuelita.
• The Upside Down Girl by Keith Negley: Why is the upside down girl in love with being upside down? What is her secret?? That is going to be THE TALK of every class/kids that read this book! And I loved the colorful and extra sillies within the illustrations.

• Horizontal Crocodile by Scott Rothman, Illustrated by Brian Won: This would be so much fun to read aloud. Don’t worry, it isn’t too looooooooooong. 🐊 (You’ll get it once you read it.) Readers will love crocodile and his antics while he prepares to see his friend who promises a change. This will also help kids who are nervous about change or friends they haven’t seen in a while. Also, what a great way to talk about horizontal and vertical!
• Our Favorite Day of the Week by Ashley Franklin, Illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell: I want to read this with kids so badly and then have them tell me their favorite day of the week using this as a mentor text! Also, the different days of the week truly highlight how everyone’s family and culutre are different. And I loved the little bit of back matter.

• Sabrina Sue: The Epic Aventure by Priscilla Burris: Sabrina Sue loves an adventure and this time she isn’t alone! This book is not just a fun adventure story, it is a great start for a conversation about facing changes, risks, and differences.
• Hairy and Scary! by Jan Thomas: This is a silly rhyming book; I can definitely see why more than one has been made. These would be great for early ed while rhyming is being taught! (This one also shows not to judge someone by their looks.)

Middle Grade

• The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys & Steve Sheinkin: I listened to this book with Trent, and I think the best compliment is that as soon as he finished this, he went to go read Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming to learn more and has put Bletchley Park on our list of things to do in London. Sepetys and Sheinkin combined their forces to tell a story that tackled the code breaking Bletchley Park in a way that middle grade readers will connect with.

Middle Grade/Young Adult

• White House Secrets: Medical Lies and Cover-Ups by Gail Jarrow: I have come to realize that I am a big fan of Jarrow’s nonfiction; I need to read more than just this and Spirit Slueths because I’ve loved them both. This book exposed presidental medical secrets that were kept from the masses from President Wilson’s stroke or JFK’s need to be medicated to just walk. I was fascinated and couldn’t put the book down.
• Lovely One: A Memoir Adapted for Young Adults by Ketanji Brown Jackson: I listened to Jackson’s memoir about her childhood up through her appointment on the Supreme Court. It was inspiring to hear how she got to where she was.
• The Vanishing of Lake Peigneur: A Graphic Novel Based on a True Story by Allan Wolf, Illustrated by Jose Pimienta: I did not know anything about this anomaly (I guess it wasn’t really national news because there was a lot going on at that time). Wolf and Pimienta do a great job telling and showing this story in a way that keeps you reading because you just have no idea what will happen next.

• Manga Biographies: Charles M. Schulz – The Creator of Snoopy and Peanuts by Yuzuru Kuki: I love Snoopy and Peanuts, so I was excited to read this biography, and it did not disappoint. Learning about Charles “Sparky” Schulz really puts Peanuts into perspective and made me love it even more.
• Science Comics: Deep-Sea Creatures: Adapting to the Abyss by Mike Lawrence: Every time I read one of these, I remind myself how much I enjoy them. The editors and authors do a great job in making sure the graphic novels are entertaining and educational (this book calls it edutainment). This one took us to the twilight zone of the ocean to learn about deep sea “monsters.”
• The Unofficial Alcatraz Handbook: A Complete Guide to the Most Often Asked Questions About “The Rock” by Kristen Tracy, Illustrated by Anika Orrock: What is it with Alcatraz that makes us all so fascinated?! Whatever it is made it so I devoured this book. It is written by a past tour guide who shares the top questions she was asked when working and all the answers to these questions. The questions range from escapes to Al Capone to gardening to protests.

You can always learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

This is my week off; see you next week!

• I’m currently reading The Wicked King by Holly Black
• I’m currently reading Coming Home by Brittney Griner & Michelle Burford

Wednesday: A Cheeky Reading List of Hilarious Picture Books About Butts from Sourcebooks Kids

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Teaching the Next Generation About September 11th” by Jacqueline Joyce, Author of Smoke at the Pentagon

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?
For readers of all ages

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how 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. The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

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!

Wednesday: Educators’ Guide for The Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter by Barbara Carroll Roberts

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “The Facts About Creating Fiction” by Amy Fellner Dominy, Author of Monster Down Deep

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

Kellee

It’s my week off! You can always learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

I’ll be back to reading more young adult books now that the semester is starting! But for now, I read a few more adult novels.

Adult

I had been seeing a lot of praise for The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso, and it was a wonderful read. I particularly liked the way the author interpreted time travel.

Obviously, The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett has been mentioned everywhere. I listened to all 29 hours. It reminded me a lot of The Help in the writing style (not surprising because it is the same author!). I liked it a lot. It definitely has a White gaze element to it, but I find that interesting to ponder as I read. I really appreciate how Stockett builds character and teaches me a bit about history. The book was highly engaging!

Adult Romance

Annabel Monaghan’s Summer Romance is a rom-com with lots to smile about. I really liked it. The last third is a lot of romance. I liked the build up in the first two-thirds best. A great book, overall!

I love sports romances, and Anna McCallie’s Abby Offsides did not disappoint. I am married to a soccer player, so I loved the soccer references! This one doesn’t disappoint.

I pulled this one right off the table at a bookstore when I was visiting family. As I was checking out, another woman had the same book in her hand and told me the first one was incredible. I didn’t even realize this was a book two! Meghan Quinn’s Just For the Plot is a sports romance—although there aren’t a lot of sports in it. It’s mainly about the relationship between a man and his sister’s best friend. The sister’s best friend is eight years his senior, and he has had a crush on her since he was 16 years old. I couldn’t put this book down. It’s very fun and kept my interest from cover to cover. I’ll likely be following this series!

I have one more book in the GoodReads challenges to do before September 15, so I’ll be perusing those titles tonight!

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “The Child Who Feels Different: What They Need from Adults in the Room” by Dr. Nahal Delpassand, Author of The Seasons of Little Tree

Link up below and go check out what everyone else is reading. Please support other bloggers by viewing and commenting on other linked blogs. If you post about your Monday post, tag the post with #IMWAYR!

  and

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
For readers of all ages

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how 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. The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

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!

Wednesday: Sofia’s YA Book Nook: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Friday: Student Voices: Negative Effects from Oscarie C. and Rutva P.

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Activities with Adventures in the City of Stories” by Emma Otheguy, Author of Adventure in the City of Stories

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

Kellee

Picture Books

• Have You Ever Seen a Ghost by Daniel Kwan & Julia Pott, Illustrated by Sean Lewis: I loved that this book is in 2nd person with the reader being talked to by the narrator. Because of this, it is a perfect read aloud to allow kids to be part of the story. In addition to it being fun in this way, it also addresses social anxiety in such a sweet way with soft illustrations the match the personality of the ghost.
• Lots and Lots of Ocelots: A Skip Counting Book by Vicky Fang, Illustrated by Angel Chang: What a perfect book for a primary classroom! It mixes all sorts of types of skip counting with fun animal facts. And the illustrations are so coloful and full of personality! Also, the backmatter is so math supportive. This will be a must get for teachers who teach this level of math.
• Sunrise Sail by Charles Trevino, Illustrated by Maribel Lechuga: First, what a fun story of a young boy and his sail with a grandfather figure! Its a perfect day for the two of them, and I loved going on the adventure with them, highlighted by the beautiful illustrations. Then to add to this book, the author wrote the entire book using alliteration using the letter S! How fun would it be to read this?! And then ask kids to write their own alliteration story!!

Middle Grade

• Whale Eyes: A Memoir About Seeing and Being Seen by James Robinson, Illustrated by Brian Rea: This memoir is so unique; I like how he structured it to help the reader feel and not just read. Also, when combined with his short videos on his website, the book takes on such a powerful purpose.
• Oppenheimer and the Atomic Bomb adapted by Eric Singer from a book by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin: I haven’t seen the movie about Oppenheimer yet, so I did not know what a roller coaster this would be. Oppenheimer was brilliant and the trajectory of his story was much sadder than I thought it would be. The book definitely makes you think and shows you some behind-the-scene information about our government and horrific mistakes they make.
• The Daughter of Aushwitz: The Girl Who Lived to Tell Her Story by Tova Friedman: I had not read a memoir about life in a concentration camp from the point of view of child before and this perspective definitely brings the Holocaust into even a more despicable view. It was heartbreaking to read about her time in Aushwitz; this is a must get for students because it being a memoir takes the emotional impact to a whole new level.
• Malcolm Lives!: The Official Biography of Malcolm X for Young Readers by Ibram X. Kendi: Malcolm X’s life it tumultuous. Kendi’s biography of him makes it accessible to younger readers who are interested in learning about him and his anti-racist views (and how he got there from his original points of view).
• See It to Be It: Eleven Champions Leading Women’s Sports Today by Billie Jean King and Liz Robbins: I loved learning about these eleven women and how the women’s sports world is evolving. I cannot wait to put this in my school library to share with readers.

And you can always learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

It is my week off; I’ll catch you up next time I post!

Kellee

• I’m currently reading Spirit Sleuths: How Magicians and Detectives Exposed the Goast Hoaxes by Gail Jarrow then I will start The Wicked King by Holly Black.
• I am not sure what I am going to start listening to as I just finished my audiobook.

Wednesday: Educators’ Guide for The Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter by Barbara Carroll Roberts

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “The Facts About Creating Fiction” by Amy Fellner Dominy, Author of Monster Down Deep

Link up below and go check out what everyone else is reading. Please support other bloggers by viewing and commenting on other linked blogs. If you post about your Monday post, tag the post with #IMWAYR!

  and

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
For readers of all ages

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how 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. The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

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!

Wednesday: Fatal Glitch: Camp Zero and Let’s Play a Game by Erin Entrada Kelly and Eliot Schrefer

Friday: Student Voices: The Power of Books from Mina Y. and Mily R.

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “The Magical Science of Graphic Novels” by Matthew Manning, Author of The Spark Experiment

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

Kellee

It’s my week off! You can always learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

I am unable to post this week but hope you have a great reading week!

Exciting news!: Our teen blogger, Sofia, has a new Instagram page! You can follow her here!

Wednesday: Sofia’s YA Book Nook: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Friday: Student Voices: Negative Effects from Oscarie C. and Rutva P.

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Activities with Adventures in the City of Stories” by Emma Otheguy, Author of Adventure in the City of Stories

Link up below and go check out what everyone else is reading. Please support other bloggers by viewing and commenting on other linked blogs. If you post about your Monday post, tag the post with #IMWAYR!

  and