Educators’ Guide for Fox + Chick: The Quiet Boat Ride and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier

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The Quiet Boat Ride and Other Stories (Fox + Chick #2)
Author and Illustrator: Sergio Ruzzier
Published: March 5th, 2019

Summary: Opposite personalities attract for these two unlikely friends: In the second book of this lauded series, Fox and Chick are off on three new adventures involving a boat ride, a mysterious box, and an early morning trip to see the sunrise. Despite the antics ensuing from their different personalities, the contradictory duo always manages to have fun together.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation and Discussion Questions: 

Please view and enjoy the teachers’ guide I created for Chronicle Books for The Quiet Boat Ride:

You can also access the teaching guide here.

You can learn more about The Quiet Boat Ride and Other Stories on Chronicle’s page.

Recommended For: 

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 5/29/23

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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!

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Tuesday: What About Philosophy? An Illustrated Q&A Book for Kids by Guénaēlle Boulet and Anne-Sophie Chilard, Illustrated by Pascal Lemaître

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Building Empathy” by Kim Taylor, Author of A Flag for Juneteenth

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

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Kellee
**Click on any image or title to view the book’s Goodreads page!**

Game Changer by Neal Shusterman Reign by Katharine McGee They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

  • Gamechanger by Neal Shusterman: Neal Shusterman just has a way of coming up with concepts no one else thinks of then executing them in a way you could never imagine! He’d shared the concept for this book when he visited our school, but the short summary cannot even capture the depth of this book. It is about more than a football player jumping into different dimensions, it is about finally realizing the privilege the main character had. There is a lot of criticism about Ash’s shifts of identity, including questioning the need to address so many issues, but it seems that Shusterman wanted to emulate true life which has so many issues. I think that the problems many have are with Ash, the MC, but it is because he is the epitome of white, cis, middle class which is frustrating in real life…
  • Reign (American Royals #4) by Katharine McGee: I LOVE this series! I am a bit fascinated with pop culture and probably read just a little too much gossip (yes, I know the problems behind paparazzi, but I also get sucked in!), this series has a gossip vibe, and I just wanted to know everything about all of the characters! I gobbled up all 4 of the books in this series, and I highly recommend them for some drama reads. This finale is perfection too, so you will not be disappointed.
  • They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera: This is a reread for me because I wanted to read the prequel. I know that this book is either loved or hated by readers, but I am on the love side. With this book, you know the destination, but the journey is full of so many emotions. I love all of the characters in the book (so much hate for Mateo!), and I loved going on their journey with them.

Troublemaker by John  Cho Glitch by Laura  Martin

  • Troublemaker by John Cho with Sarah Suk: This is the first book I’ve read that took place during the protests and riots after the Rodney King verdict in 1992, which brought back such emotions while reading it as it was probably my first introduction, at 10 years old, of the racial injustices in our nation. Troublemaker isn’t exactly about the upheaval, but instead is about a young Korean American boy who is trying to prove to his father that he is not just a troublemaker by bringing him a gun to protect their store (which I have opinions about being included, but John Cho explains his choice in the author’s note). Everything about the book made it an engaging read: great pacing, characters you can connect with, and an important lesson.
  • Glitch by Laura Martin: This is on the grades 3-5 Florida list for next year, so I listened to it with Trent, and I think many kids are going to have this one be a favorite. The action/adventure, historical, and sci-fi elements all make the book one that is hard to put down, and I loved that within a sci-fi, action/adventure book, you get to learn about history because there is time travel! Also, with the polar opposite main characters, there will definitely be one that readers connect to (and probably one that annoys them).

Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

  • Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister: I was reading on the bus home from a field trip, and a PE teacher and I started chatting about books. She shared this one with me, and her elevator pitch of it (a mom witnesses her son murder someone, he’s arrested, they go to bed to go back to the precinct in the morning, and she wakes up the day before the murder!) made me want to read it immediately, and luckily my library had it! And MAN, the book just sucked me in and had so many twist and turns. Also, it did not go where I was expected; I always love being surprised by a book. I’ve been talking about this one to all of my adult books reading friends because I think so many will enjoy it!

Mega-Predators of the Past by Melissa Stewart Dear Mr. G by Christine      Evans The Together Tree by Aisha Saeed Boop! by Bea Birdsong
Line Up! by Susan Stockdale Bioblitz! by Susan Edwards Richmond Wombat Said Come In by Carmen Agra Deedy

  • Mega-Predators of the Past by Melissa Stewart, Illustrated by Howard Gray: Melissa Steward just knows how to craft an engaging and informative nonfiction book! Mega-Predators is so fascinating–it includes some prehistoric creatures I knew (Megalodon & Blue Whale) but so many I didn’t (giant scorpion, griffenfly, short-faced bears, deinosuchus, Sander’s seabird, archelon, terror birds, and titanoboa). Each predator includes some informative text, a comparison graphic, mega fact file, as well as the continuation of the Mega-Predator text. Everyone who grabs this book will learn something and will quickly become interested in these creatures!
  • Dear Mr. G by Christine Evans, Illustrated by Gracey Zhang: Oh man, this book was touching! Told in letters back and forth between a young boy and his neighbor who exchange their letters until Mr. G can no longer take part. The letters include lessons learned, lessons taught, current life stories, past life stories, and is just a joy to read (though it pulls at your heartstrings!).
  • The Together Tree by Aisha Saeed, Illustrated by LeUyen Pham: Aisha Saeed and LeUyen Pham together?! Yes, it is as good as you’re guessing it is! There can never be too many picture books about kindness. Being kind in the face of meanness is so tough for kids, so more stories they read about ways to face those bullies and spread kindness are always welcome. The Together Tree is about a new student at a school, Rumi, who quickly finds his unique fashion sense being made fun of and the boy, Han, who helps Rumi know that there are kids who find his interests and creativity to be wonderful.
  • Boop! by Bea Birdsong, Illustrated by Linzie Hunter: Oh man, oh man, oh man! This truly endearing book will get so many awwwws and boooops out of its readers because every dog in this book is adorable, it has an interactive aspect, and just is such a fun book that will be one that kids will want to read over and over again. I also loved that it had a little bit of an allusion to Go Dog Go so gives a great contemporary book to read along with that classic. I do also want to give a shout out to the author for the intro at the beginning that reminds the reader not to just boop any dog’s nose without permission and making sure it is safe.
  • Line Up!: Animals in Remarkable Rows by Susan Stockdale: This text is a nice introduction to animals that like to line up in nature, such as turtles that line on a log and shrews that hold onto tails as they go on adventures. The text itself is easy to read aloud and is fun and then there is extra info in the back matter about each of the creatures.
  • Bioblitz! Counting Critters by Susan Edward Richmond, Illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman: What a fun introduction to bioblitz for young kids! It also includes so many different animals that readers are going to want to learn more about, even more than what is shared in the back matter. I think this will be a great book to incorporate in science to introduce different types of creatures and the idea of bioblitz.
  • Wombat Says Come In by Carmen Agra Deedy, Illustrated by Brian Lies: Based on the idea that wombats in Australia opened their homes to other animals to help them stay safe during wildfires. I have mixed feelings about the animals in the book being so unkind to wombat’s home, and I wonder if it is tied to the truth (if it is, I wish that had been included), but it made me sad that wombat is so welcoming, even after the fact, but the other animals are not great guests. But I can see this being used in the classroom to talk about hospitality and being a good guest–it definitely would be easy for readers to understand this lesson with this book. Oh, and I cannot talk about this book without giving a shout out to the beautiful illustrations–Lie’s acrylic and pencil artwork is stunning!

To learn more about any of these books, check out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

See you next week for my update!

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Kellee

Reading: The Getaway by Lamar Giles

Listening to: The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Listening with Trent: Better with Butter by Victoria Piontek

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Tuesday: Teacher Guide for Fox + Chick: The Quiet Boat Ride and Other Stories by Serio Ruzzier

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Using Fiction to Tell Your Truth” by Kaz Windness, Author of Bitsy Bat, School Star

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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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Author Guest Post: “Building Empathy” by Kim Taylor, Author of A Flag for Juneteenth

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“Building Empathy”

When I was a young girl, I was an avid reader. I did not have the distractions that are seemingly everywhere today. I picked up anything I could get my hands on, but I was most attracted to stories with a main character that was trying to find their place in the world. If the writing was very good, I was drawn into the story and felt deeply connected to the protagonist. I had the best of two worlds. I spent my formative years living in an apartment building in Brooklyn, and every summer I would go to sleep away camp in the Catskills. I loved the excitement of playing outdoor games with friends in our building’s courtyard, but always looked forward to the calming peace of the woods and lake at camp. It’s no wonder that I would seek out books with these familiar themes.

When I was doing research to prepare for writing my debut book A Flag for Juneteenth, I googled, listened to podcasts, and read books about slavery in America. I also looked at pictures of enslaved people which helped me to imagine their personalities and lives. One picture of a little girl that I found on the Library of Congress website seemed to embody the spirit of my heroine, and I kept her image in mind as I developed the character.

I wanted my main character’s name to be unusual, one that would be new to my readers. I envisioned this character to be a prophet, one who could bear witness to the announcement of the end of slavery as a legal institution in America and could also foretell a future free of bondage. I googled biblical female prophets and an image of a beautiful Black woman appeared on my screen. Her name was Huldah. As soon as I saw her, I knew that this would be the name of my main character. Eve, the name of Huldah’s baby sister, is also biblical. It is derived from a Hebrew word meaning “to breathe”, or “to live”. In my story Eve is an infant. She will have the opportunity to live her life without the burden of enslavement. One other character in my story has a name. Mr. Menard is the oldest man on the plantation. He has the last name of Michel B. Menard, the first plantation owner in Galveston Texas where my story takes place. I thought that it was important to demonstrate that enslaved people were often given the last name of their enslavers to erase any connection to their own family lineage.

I thought about ways to help young readers to be interested in an event in history that is rarely taught in schools, and to feel connected to a reality so far removed from their own. I knew that I would need to draw them in early in the story and decided to start with my main character feeling excited about her upcoming birthday celebration. Huldah is a mature, curious, insightful little girl. She has the very ‘grown up’ responsibility of caring for her baby sister during the day while her parents labor on the plantation. The reader meets Huldah for the first time on the day before her 10th birthday, which fell on a Sunday that year. Sundays were a day for rest and reconnecting with family and community. Huldah’s mom baked Huldah’s favorite tea cakes for her upcoming birthday, a luxury she may not have had time for when the long work hours started again the next day. The characters in my book are purposefully faceless. I am hoping that my readers will see themselves in the story and connect with the characters on a deeper level.

I am incredibly proud to have illustrated this book with quilting, an art form that was used by my ancestors to tell their own stories. When planning the illustrations, I tried to keep the text in mind, and made decisions about what aspects of the text I thought needed to be enhanced. For example, the first page describes tea cakes, a type of traditional cookie that enslaved people made using simple pantry ingredients. I thought that it was important to help my readers visualize a teacake, so I set out to create them using one of the brown fabrics from my stash that had some color variations. Teacakes were not fancy back then, but they were delicious and smelled amazing, so I used hand embroidered lettering to show the movement of the scent wafting through the air. The illustrations took a little over a year to create. It was an enormous undertaking and a very emotional journey. Because the people in this book have no faces, I had to figure out how to give Huldah depth and to showcase her personality in other ways. I also needed to make her consistent and recognizable in every illustration. That is no easy task when working with fabric on such a small scale! I remember telling a friend that I felt as though Huldah had become like a daughter to me. I felt a deep connection to the character.

When teaching about this troubling time in American history, I feel that is critical to highlight the beauty and resilience of African and African American people during their enslavement, as well as to showcase how important strong family and community ties was to them then and continues to be today. As educators we should not leave out what life was like for enslaved people when they were not laboring. Although difficult, these were people who did all that they could to connect with their immediate and extended families, and to build a sense of community despite such oppressive circumstances. By humanizing them we build empathy and help our young readers to see their commonalities rather than their differences. Hopefully this will encourage them to want to learn more about this significant time in American history.

Published

About the Book: This powerful title shares a unique story of the celebration of the first Juneteenth, from the perspective of a young girl. 

A Flag for Juneteenth depicts a close-knit community of enslaved African Americans on a plantation in Texas, the day before the announcement is to be made that all enslaved people are free. Young Huldah, who is preparing to celebrate her tenth birthday, can’t possibly anticipate how much her life will change that Juneteenth morning. The story follows Huldah and her community as they process the news of their freedom and celebrate together by creating a community freedom flag.  

Kim Taylor sets A Flag for Juneteenth apart from other Juneteenth books by applying her skills as an expert quilter. Each of the illustrations has been lovingly hand sewn and quilted, giving the book a homespun, tactile quality that will appeal to readers young and old.

Educators’ Guide: 

About the Author: Kim Taylor is a speech language pathologist and Department Supervisor at a large school for deaf children. She is also an expert quilter whose works have been exhibited at several venues throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Kim’s quilts reflect African American life, and she tells stories through her materials. After researching the origins of the Juneteenth celebration, she created a Juneteenth story quilt which she has exhibited and presented in dozens of local schools. Realizing that many teachers and students were unaware of the holiday, she was moved to write this book. She lives in Baldwin, New York. 

To see more of Kim’s quilts, visit her website at MaterialGirlStoryQuilts.com or visit her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/comfortzne1.

Thank you, Kim, for this beautiful post about empathy!

What About Philosophy? An Illustrated Q&A Book for Kids by Guénaēlle Boulet and Anne-Sophie Chilard, Illustrated by Pascal Lemaître

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What About Philosophy? An Illustrated Q&A Book for Kids
Author: Guénaēlle Boulet and Anne-Sophie Chilard
Illustrator: Pascal Lemaître
Philosophical Consultants: Oscar Brenifier and Jean-Charles Pettier
Published May 9th, 2023 by Twirl Books

Summary: What is money for? Why are there wars? Should we always be nice? Curious kids have lots of questions about the world they live in and the feelings they have. They will explore answers to these questions and many more in this exceptional illustrated Q&A book. Questions about how to think about freedom, jealousy, and going to school, among others, are answered in a fun, kid-friendly way and accompanied by quirky cartoon illustrations that will entertain readers and help them talk about big life questions.

  • 80 pages of real-life questions and answers for kids ages 7 and up
  • Fun illustrations that engage readers
  • Content reviewed by philosophy advisers and sensitivity reader What About: Philosophy is a Q&A book that offers easy-to-understand answers to challenging life questions!
  • Great family and classroom read-aloud book
  • Nonfiction books for kids
  • Educational books for elementary school students

About the Creators:

Anne-Sophie Chilard is the editor-in-chief of the children’s magazine J’aime lire. She is the co-author of several books of activities and recipes for children, and lives in Paris.

Jean-Charles Pettier taught philosophy in high school, and is now a doctoral candidate in philosophy. He introduces the subject to young children through a column in the children’s magazine, Pomme d’api, He lives near Paris.

Pascal Lemaitre is the illustrator of the numerous children’s books, including the bestselling picture books, Come with Me, Do Not Open This Book!, and many more. During the year, he splits his time between Brussels, Belgium, and Brooklyn, New York.

Review: There are many questions in life that kids ask and adults may not know how to answer. This book is the answer! It explains so much to the reader while still leaving the reader to have opinions of their own. You can tell, based on its push for metacognition and deeper thinking, that it was definitely based in philosophy. While the authors and illustrator make the book engaging and fun, but the information within the book is truly thought provoking and will help kids work through some of the truly tough questions.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation & Discussion Questions: I think educators will definitely add this to their read aloud rotation in later elementary classes. They can do a different section each time which will lead to wonderful classroom discussions! I mean, each section is its own discussion question!

Flagged Passages: 

Note to Readers:

Why do we exist? What is love? Why is there war? These kinds of big life questions are what philosophy is all about. Curious people young and old have always wondered why the world is the way it is. Yet these philosophical questions rarely have one simple answer.

The purpose of this book is to help guide you as you think about the many possible answers to life’s big questions. The ideas explored here were inspired by classroom discussions and consultation with philosophers Oscar Brenifier and Jean-Charles Pettier. The fun, accessible text and whimsical illustrations are your key to discovering how to think for yourself and form  your own opinions.

Enjoy!

Read This If You Love: Q&A Books, Philosophy

Recommended For: 

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**Thank you to Blue Slip Media for providing a copy for review!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 5/22/23

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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!

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Tuesday: Review and Educators’ Guide: The Witch of Woodland by Laurel Snyder

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

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Kellee

It’s my week off! To learn more about my reading, check out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

I love Stacy McAnulty’s books, and this was no exception. Pluto! Not a Planet? Not a Problem! is absolutely adorable and filled with incredible facts and information about Pluto and the solar system.

Invader from Mars: The Truth about Babies by Peggy Robbins Janousky is a new and fun take on the picture book sibling story. It made me laugh out loud!

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Ricki

I am in adult book world for the moment.

I am reading in print Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin.

I’m listening to Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver.

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Tuesday: What About Philosophy? An Illustrated Q&A Book for Kids by Guénaēlle Boulet and Anne-Sophie Chilard, Illustrated by Pascal Lemaître

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Building Empathy” by Kim Taylor, Author of A Flag for Juneteenth

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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!

 Signature andRickiSig

Review and Educators’ Guide!: The Witch of Woodland by Laurel Snyder

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The Witch of Woodland
Author: Laurel Snyder
Published: May 16th, 2023 by Walden Pond Press

Summary: Laurel Snyder, author of Orphan Island, returns with a story of one girl’s quest to answer the seemingly unanswerable questions about what makes us who we are.

Hi, whoever is reading this. I’m Zipporah Chava McConnell, but everyone calls me Zippy.

Things used to be simple—until a few weeks ago. Now my best friend, Bea, is acting funny; everyone at school thinks I’m weird; and my mom is making me start preparing for my bat mitzvah, even though we barely ever go to synagogue. In fact, the only thing that still seems to make sense is magic.

See, the thing is, I’m a witch. I’ve been casting spells since I was little. And even if no one else wants to believe in magic anymore, it’s always made sense to me, always felt true. But I was still shocked the day I found a strange red book at the library and somehow…I conjured something. A girl, actually. A beautiful girl with no memory, and wings like an angel. You probably don’t believe me, but I swear it’s the truth.

Miriam is like no one else I’ve ever met. She’s proof that magic is real. And, it’s hard to explain this part, but I just know that we’re connected. That means it’s up to me to help Miriam figure out what she is and where she came from. If I can do that, maybe everything else in my life will start to make sense too.

Anyway, it’s worth a try.

About the Author: Laurel Snyder is the beloved author of many picture books and novels for children, including the National Book Award nominee Orphan Island and the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner Charlie & Mouse. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, she teaches in Hamline University’s MFA in writing for children and young adults program. Laurel lives in Atlanta with her family and can be found online at www.laurelsnyder.com.

Review: Zippy was so happy; her best friend Bea and her bonded over magic and everything has been Bea and Zippy since then and it has been wonderful. Then 7th grade begins and Bea is different and Zippy is not. This leads to Zippy feeling socially isolated and just so different than everyone else, a feeling that so many middle schoolers & those us of who went through middle school, will understand. This is the feeling that the book starts with–Zippy just wants someone who understands her again. This is the foundation for the rest of the book.

Laurel Snyder’s middle grade writing always enchants me, and Witch of Woodland is no different. Her characters in Witch are so easy to connect with (including her parents, who I love are included in such a realistic way), the magic she includes is captivating and unique, and her stories are unlike anyone else’s. What got me the most about this book, though, is Zippy. Zippy is special. She is a walking contradiction, just like many early teens are: she is strong and weak, confident and insecure, magical and human, quiet and loud, angry and optimistic… she is all of this and more, and none of that changes, though she evolves and grows in a way that she is just a better version of her same self. Zippy makes this book, everything else just supports her.

I want to note with this review that I am not Jewish, so I did not comment on the religious aspects of the book as I do not have the prior knowledge to do so. However, I did learn a lot about Jewish religion and faith through this book.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation and Discussion Questions: 

Please view and enjoy the publisher-shared Educators’ Guide :

Recommended For: 

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**Thank you to Walden Pond Press for providing a copy for review!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 5/15/23

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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!

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Tuesday: Blog Tour with Review & Educators’ Guide!: Greatest Kid In the World by John David Anderson

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

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Kellee

I haven’t updated in a month, so I have some great books to share!
I do want to give a shout out to audiobooks because I am in a bit of a reading rut; without audiobooks, I would have only read 4 non-graphic novels over this last month, but with audiobooks, I read 11! So thankful for them!

Battle for the Park by H.D.  Hunter Amari and the Great Game by B.B. Alston The Sister Switch by Sarah Mlynowski Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yee A Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga

  • Futureland: Battle for the Park by H.D. Hunter: This book needs more hype! It is such a fun sci-fi book that is about the problem of technology, including AI, in the wrong hands. It is gripping, important, and keeps you wanting to read!
  • Amari and the Great Game by B.B. Alston: A great sequel that continues the momentum of book one and doesn’t lose the magic!
  • Best Wishes: The Sister Switch by Sarah Mlynowski & Debbie Rigaud: I am just such a fan of Mlynowski’s stories, her standalone and her co-written ones, and this is no exception. I look forward to see what happens in the rest of this series as the magical bracelet gets passed to the next kid.
  • Maizy Chen’s Last Chance by Lisa Yee: No wonder this book won everything it did–it is well written, heart-warming, teaches history, has a great lesson, is important, and just an excellent read! Anyone who reads this is going to love Maizy and her group of family and friends.
  • A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga: This book received a lot of hype when it came out among my blog friends, and I can see why; I am so glad I finally read it! It is so funny with a lot of heart and a bit of adventure. I loved the two points of view to include insight into what is going on on Earth while we follow Rez’s adventures to Mars.

The First Rule of Climate Club by Carrie Firestone Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca One of Us Is Back by Karen M. McManus

  • The First Rule of Climate Club by Carrie Firestone: What a great book about how kids can make a difference! I loved that the author included the main story about climate change as well as other side stories that add to the engagement of the story. As soon as I was done, I had to read its companion novel, Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone. I do wish I’d read Dress Coded first because it is spoiled a bit in First Rule of Climate Club, but it was still interesting to read how everything came to be. Just like Climate Club, there are additional side stories that are happening at the same time which adds to the book also!
  • Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca: What a beautifully written book! LaRocca’s verse is just superb. That combined with a character who you cannot help but love, equals a heart-wrenching but wonderful story.
  • One of us is Back by Karen McManus: The third in the series! I cannot tell you much about it because it has all of the characters in books 1 & 2 and starts off with something that will make fans of the first two books so mad, but they will also just love this book. Has the same vibe as the first two–a great read!

Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy by Faith Erin Hicks Picture Day by Sarah Sax

  • Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy by Faith Erin Hicks: I don’t think I’ve missed a Faith Erin Hicks book yet, and I have enjoyed every single one of them. I love the characters in the books–they are all flawed and lovable, especially the main characters, Alix and Ezra. It also looks at the pressure of high school and being a star and being loved by all. It is multilayered book that is also just fun to read.
  • Picture Day by Sarah Sax: Fans of middle school realistic fiction graphic novels have another one that they need to add to their TBR. Picture Day is about Viv who is embracing who she is and wants to try to help everyone be ask happy as being herself makes her. But she doesn’t pay attention to those she is bulldozing on her way…

To learn more about any of these books, check out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

I’ll see you next week for my update!

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Kellee

Wrong Place Wrong Time Gamechanger Glitch

  • Reading: Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
  • Listening: Game Changer by Neal Shusterman
  • Listening with Trent: Glitch by Laura Martin

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Tuesday: Review and Educators’ Guide: The Witch of Woodland by Laurel Snyder

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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!

 Signature andRickiSig