It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 11/30/15

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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.

CONGRATULATIONS

Sui G.

for winning A Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish!

Last Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday Where's Will? case of the missing carrot Whistlebrass Horror Cover

Tuesday: Ten Fictional Families We’d Invite to Thanksgiving Dinner

Wednesday: Where’s Will?: Find Shakespeare Hidden in his Plays by Tilly and Anna Claybourne

Thursday: Happy Thanksgiving!

Friday: The Case of the Missing Carrot Cake by Robin Newman, Illustrated by Deborah Zemke

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “Spurring Ideas with Creative Teamwork” by Jack Keely, author of The Whistlebrass Horror

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

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: Unfortunately, my week ended up not being what was planned. I received some sad news about a sick family member as soon as I got to Minneapolis for NCTE/ALAN, so I turned around to come home right away to be with my family and to help take care of my son.

I was able to get a good amount of reading done during these couple of weeks though. First, I caught up on the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books by reading Hard Luck, Long Haul, and Old School. I was a bit surprised at these titles because I actually didn’t completely dislike Greg throughout all of them. I think if Greg isn’t able to be mean to Rowley, Greg doesn’t bother me as much.

I also read a couple of graphic novels that were very different but both good. First was Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova which is going to be a big hit in my classroom. It is a wonderful middle school story. Second was Space Dumplins by Craig Thompson which is an odd science fiction adventure.

Although Trent and I didn’t read many picture books while we were staying with Jim’s family because we didn’t pack many and we were in a hotel, but we made it up when we were home. He even let me read a new one to him: The Diggers by Margaret Wise Brown. I overall liked it, but it actually felt like two different books with the first half talking about things that dig and the second half being the journey of a train tunnel being built. Trent liked it though!

Finally, I finished five novels. First, I finished listening to The Buccaneers’ Code by Caroline Carlson, the third book in The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates series. I love this series, and this one didn’t disappoint! Hilary Westfield is one of my favorite female protagonists. Then, I finished TyrellBronxwood, and Kendra by Coe Booth. I’d actually read Bronxwood in the past, but didn’t truly enjoy it. Now I know it is because it means so much more if you read Tyrell first. Kendra is a companion to the two Tyrell books and is very different; however, I am happy I read all three.  I am so glad that Ricki recommended Tyrell to me, and I put it on my #mustread list. Finally, I read The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo. This book has been on my TBR list since it came out, and a few weeks ago I saw it on someone’s IMWAYR, and I decided that it would be one of the next books I read. It is such a magical book! Kate DiCamillo has such a way with words!

Ricki: I finished The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds. It was wonderful! It is a quiet book that packs a good, solid punch. I will be reading more books by Jason Reynolds. While at NCTE/ALAN, I started about fifteen books, and I am feeling a bit spastic. There are so many good books to read! I am so, so glad that Kellee enjoyed Tyrell. Ah!

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I hope to get through some more of my #mustread books during December! I plan on readinging Read Between the Lines by Jo Knowles first. I also have Hook’s Revenge #2 to read.

Ricki: I am really enjoying Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom. The book features a character who is blind and a runner. I like the intersection of disability and sports, and it is really making me think. I got this ARC from the Little, Brown booth, and it intrigued me.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday Viva2015big Ricki's NCTE:ALAN Reflection cover

Tuesday: Ten ALAN  Books Ricki is Excited About

Wednesday: Ten ALAN Book Kellee is Excited About

Thursday: Ricki’s NCTE/ALAN Reflection

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “Nurturing Nature in the Classroom” by Rebecca Bielawski, Author of the Mummy Nature series

 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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8 thoughts on “It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 11/30/15”

  1. I’m sorry for the illness in your family, Kellee, and hope all is getting better. What a time for you! And Ricki, I guess you had a great time at NCTE & brought back lots of learning for both of you. Best wishes to you both for a good week back!

    Reply
  2. Kellee – I’m so sorry to hear about your ill family member – I hope he or she is OK.

    Funny, my sons felt the same way about Wimpy Kid – they didn’t like the books because they said Greg was too mean! They’ve never understood why the books were so popular. Good to hear he gets better in the later books.

    Ricki – Not If I See You First sounds really intriguing. Glad you got so many great books at the conference!

    Hope you both enjoyed Thanksgiving with your families – enjoy your books this week!

    Sue

    Book By Book

    Reply
    • I’ve read all of the Wimpy Kid books, but I’ve never been a huge fan of Greg. I always recommend Big Nate first; however, I didn’t mind these last two!
      Thank you for the kind words, Sue!

      Reply
  3. Hope your family member is doing better Kellee. I figured out that one Diary of a Wimpy Kid book was enough for me. However, I recently read A Year in the Life of a Total and Complete Genius that is a similar kind of books, but I really liked Arthur Bean a whole lot more than Greg. Arthur grows up a lot. I’m actually looking forward to reading the sequel!
    I was all set to request Tyrell from our library, but we don’t have it!
    Ricki, I’ve been wanting to read The Boy in the Black Suit for some time and discovered it is available as an ebook! I will be trying to find some time this week to read it. (Seriously though, I’m slightly overwhelmed with book club books)

    Reply
  4. So sorry to hear about your sick family member, Kellee. Hope all is well now! I purchased Awkward and Space Dumplins for my classroom upon recommendation from a children’s bookseller at Joseph-Beth in Cincinnati. Kids have been devouring them ever since – before I got to read them! Ha. I’ll need to sneak them out one of these days. 😉

    Reply
  5. Life is packed with unexpected moments… Hope all is well now Kellee. Finishing 5 novels, woah…
    I just placed a hold on The Boy in the Black Suit… shall anticipate.

    Reply

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