It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 7/25/16

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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.

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Last Week’s Posts

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

top ten tuesday ocean animals my friend maggie

journey quest return Packing Evil

Tuesday: Ten Books Set Outside the United States

Wednesday: National Geographic Kids Ocean Animals: Who’s Who in the Deep Blue by Johnna Rizzo

Thursday: My Friend Maggie by Hannah E. Harrison

Friday: Review and Giveaway!: Journey Trilogy by Aaron Backer

GIVEAWAY open until Thursday!!

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “Teaching Was a Lot More Than Following a Lesson Plan” by P. E. Yudkoff, Author of Packing Evil

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 Last Week’s Journeys
Kellee

I have had a reading-tastic two weeks! One of the things I love the most about vacations are the amount of reading time I get!

Dino Files 1 dino files 2 bea garcia

On the plane to DC, I was able to read these three chapter books, and I am looking forward to reviewing them this week 🙂

thunder boy jr Night Gardener PB Flora and the Peacock This is not a picture book! robo-sauce secret pizza party the day the crayons came home the book with no pictures frankencrayon super jumbo thank you book

Once I was in DC, while Jim was at his conference, I went to Kramerbooks & Afterwords which is not only a very lovely independent book store, but it is a bar and restaurant as well. While there, I chatted with patrons and workers and read the above picture books. All ones that I had been looking forward to reading for a while. All of them were so good!

I loved to finally read the sequels of Red and The Day the Crayons Quit. They were both very different than the first ones. Almost more fun than philosophical, but both are definitely 5 star reads.

The Book with no Pictures and This is not a Picture Book would be perfect read aloud and discussion companions.

Both Flora and the Peacocks and The Night Gardener are so visually beautiful! While Thunder Boy, Jr. is so thought provoking.

Adam Rubin is quickly becoming a favorite silly picture book author, and Robo-Sauce and Secret Pizza Party are just as much fun as Dragons Love Tacos. Super Jumbo is another fun one to add to the list! All three have good messages also.

Finally, I had the guts to pick up The Thank You Book. The final Elephant & Piggie book. I am so sad that E&P are over. They are perfect picture books, and the finale was the perfect final book for them.

still a work in progress Where are you going baby Lincoln juana emma g

I also was able to read these 4 books while there. These were four very different books, but all good in their own right:

Jo Knowles’s Still a Work in Progress is a perfect addition to middle grade realistic fiction! I will definitely be reviewing this one further for you all.

Both Where are You Going Baby Lincoln? may be my favorite Deckawoo Drive books. Baby Lincoln has been a secondary character who hasn’t yet been able to share her voice; however, DiCamillo changes that with this book when she finally stands up to Eugenia and goes on a journey. A Necessary Journey.

Juana & Lucas is a early chapter book that takes place in Columbia and is a wonderful diverse addition.

Emma G Loves Boyz is going to be loved in my classroom library. It is a book written for my boy-obsessed middle school girls.

lucy & andy risking exposure pirate pig through the woods

On the plane from DC to Orlando then the 10 hour drive to Baton Rouge (to visit my parents), I finished these four books. Wow. I don’t know if I could find four different books to read in less than 24 hours:

Lucy & Andy Neanderthal is an interesting new graphic novel by Jeffrey Brown, the author of Jedi Academy. It is a mix of humorous Neanderthal adventures with scientific facts about Neanderthals.

Risking Exposure is one that I cannot wait to review and share more about. It is an interesting and different look at Hitler Youth.

The Pirate Pig is another fun early chapter book with a, as the title suggests, a pirate pig. Julie, the pig, can find treasure and is in danger of being kidnapped by those that want to take advantage of her.

Through the Woods is a weirdly, creepy, odd yet beautiful horror, short story graphic novel anthology. Fans of Scary Stories will enjoy these.

this little president another monster at the end monster at the end of this book disney storytime disney story central

While we were in Baton Rouge, we couldn’t bring all of Trent’s books (and for some reason he has not wanted to read the ones he did decide to bring), so thankfully iPads have some really great book apps. Trent loves The Monster at the End of this Book and Another Monster at the End of This Book apps (they are interactive and Grover/Grover & Elmo read to you) and the Disney book apes (Storytime & Story Central).

SUMMER final cover image (2)

In Baton Rouge, I had a lot less time to read as we were quite busy and Trent was clinging to me like a marsupial (that is what I get for going away fro 5 days), so I only finished The Summer I Saved the World…in 65 Days is our faculty book club’s second summer selection, and it is a perfect summer read! I love the message of good winning in the end! This book will be a great read for middle schoolers, especially those trying to fit in or deciding how to proceed as a teenager.

Ricki

My husband is preparing the house for the new baby this week (bolting furniture, painting, etc.). So I am whisking the toddler away with relatives and won’t have internet access this Sunday or Monday. I hope to have some good updates for you!

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This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee

I brought a huge bag of books with me to Baton Rouge to read, and since I didn’t get to any of them, I am going to choose one from there.

Be Light like a Bird

I did start Be Light Like a Bird which is a book of grief. I hope it gets happier or at least has some closure because it is super sad and a mess right now.

Ricki 

On a positive note, Henry and I have reached Chapter Six of The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. I am in utter disbelief that he is allowing me to read a chapter book to him each night and am crossing my fingers that we can make it until the end! I’d appreciate any suggestions of similar chapter books (a couple of pictures here and there and consistently short, 4-5 page chapters). I would love to keep the chapter book trend going after we finish this one! I am hoping for a book that isn’t an early/easy reader but is similar to The Tale of Despereaux.

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Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday coyote moon Dino Files 1 bea garcia

Tuesday: Ten Things Books Have Made Us Want To Learn More About

Wednesday: Blog Tour with Review and Giveaway!: Coyote Moon by Maria Gianferrari

Thursday: The Dino Files: A Mysterious Egg by Stacy McAnulty

Friday: Bea Garcia: My Life in Pictures by Deborah Zemke

Sunday: Author Guest Post!

 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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20 thoughts on “It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 7/25/16”

  1. Love the muarsupial description! Just last week I was discussing with my younger daughter the fact that she was a “velcro monkey” as a child, which once ended in a very weird and painful sunburn when we spent an afternoon at the pool and she refused to leave my lap. There may have been a song about “crispy burning thigh flesh”. Now she’s off to college, and I’m discouraged from even going shopping at Target with her! That’s okay– more time to read!

    Reply
  2. Wow, lots of great books shared today. Traveling with nothing to do but read is wonderful! Thanks for the titles new to me, but have read a few of these. My middle schoolers loved that creepy Through The Woods, Kellee. Have a great week visiting!

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  3. Kellee – so much reading! I can just imagine you in that bookstore with all of those wonderful picture books! Ricki, I hadn’t realized another little one was joining your family so soon! Another suggestion for a chapter book I would make if you are reading The Tale of Despereaux would be The Prince of the Pond by Donna Jo Napoli. It was one of the first chapter books I read to my children along with lots of Roald Dahl!

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  4. Kellee – you did get a lot read! Glad you had a great time with family. See you in a couple of weeks!
    Ricki – Happy getting things done around the house! It’s always a nice feeling getting a new project done. I hadn’t realized you were expecting #2 until I was talking with Kellee last month. Congrats to you!

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  5. WOW, Kellee – that’s a LOT of books!! I don’t read many picture books these days but would love to see Thunder Boy, Jr – I’ve heard so many good things about it, including a wonderful interview with the author & illustrator on either NYTBR podcast or one of the NPR podcasts.

    And you can read in the car?? Lucky you! I can browse through a magazine if I’m in the front seat, but real reading makes me sick. It gives me an excuse to enjoy magazines on roadtrips because I never have time for them otherwise!

    Ricki – so glad that Tale of Despereaux is going so well! I can’t believe he’s sitting still for chapter books already! Wow! Like I said last week, our boys loved The Mouse and the Motorcycle – might be too long for now, though.

    Enjoy your books this week –

    Sue

    2016 Big Book Summer Challenge

    Reply
    • You should just go to a bookstore and read some great picture books. It makes your heart feel full 🙂

      I used to not be able to read in the car, but I tried this time, and I could! It was wonderful! And I could read in the front or the back!! 🙂

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  6. Wow Kellee! That was a ton of great books. Yay for vacation reading time. 🙂

    Ricki – I didn’t realize you were expecting another young reader to join your family. Happy times. I think I started with Charlotte’s Web with my children. Maybe Toys Go Out.

    Reply

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