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.
Last Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Songs We Wish Were Books
Wednesday: Trashed by Derf Backderf
Thursday: The Happy Dandelion App
Sunday: Author Guest Post! by Sue Duff, Author of Sleight of Hand
Last Week’s Journeys
Kellee: I’ve had a really varied reading week of three middle grade books!
First, I read Mystery of the Map by Jack Chabert which is the first book in a new graphic novel series based off of Jeff Kinney’s Poptropica game. It is going to be LOVED by middle grade students.
Next, I finished Kiki and Jacques by Susan Ross which is a story of a small town in Maine who has a group of African refugees. It is a middle grade book that is fun but also looks at some very important issues. I cannot wait to review it for you all–it needs to get into more kids’ hands.
Finally, I read Agent Darcy and Ninja Steve in Tiger Trouble by Grant Goodman which is an engaging adventure book willed with ninjas, wit, and action.
Ricki: I finished a really interesting book called Learning to Labor: How Working Class Kids Get Working Class Jobs. It was really depressing but true attack on today’s educational system and how it actually works to promote the stratification of social class levels. I am going to write a blog post/review about it this Thursday because I can’t stop thinking about how relevant it is.
Henry and I read (and loved) Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick. This book is worthy of its praise. I broke my rule about not buying books and had to splurge and get it. It is such an incredible book! We also read The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spire. I love books like this. It inspires kids to be creative and confident in their creations. We also read Waiting by Kevin Henkes. I loved how simplistic this text was, and I plan to use it to teach my son about patience.
This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee: I cannot wait to jump into my next book: Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt! I love Kathi Appelt’s work, so I am looking forward to it. I’m not sure what else I’ll read this week! I’ll let you know 🙂
Ricki: I also plan to read Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt! I am quite excited. I have been bogged down with reading for my human rights class. The readings are very good, but I am still struggling to manage school reading, pleasure reading, and motherhood. Pleasure reading is taking a slight back seat, but I am hoping things will wind down very soon.
Upcoming Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Ten Books We Enjoyed Recently that Weren’t Typical Genres/Topics We Read
Wednesday: Blog Tour, Author Guest Post, and Review!: Reproductive Rights: Who Decides? by Vicki Oransky Wittenstein
Thursday: Learning to Labor by Paul Willis (Ricki’s reflection on the educational fallacies we promote in schools today)
Friday: Trent’s Favorite Books: 1 to 2 Years
Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “Stories are Everywhere” by Wendy Terrien, Author of Rampart Guards
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
I love Kathi Appelt’s books, too. Hope you both enjoy Maybe A Fox! On my list! Ricki there was a little connection about working class people needing education too on Downton Abbey tonight. And now so many years later, still talking about it! Kellee, glad you had such a wonderful birthday time this week.
I cannot wait to read it!
I stopped at the third season of Downton Abbey, but I plan to finish when my life gets a bit less crazy. I am interested in that episode!
Interesting that there was a Downton Abbey connection. I haven’t watched this season yet, but will eventually start up again.
Seems like you hit some good middle grade Kellee.
I am eager to hear what you have to say about Learning to Labor Ricki.
Good morning, ladies!
Ricki, those are great picture books, I loved them too! I find myself frequently breaking the book buying rule 🙂
Kellee, looking forward to hearing about Kiki and Jacques!
I have Maybe a Fox on order. I’ll be looking forward to hearing what you all think!
Kiki and Jacques is one that is going under the radar, but it is a quite good middle grade read.
Good evening, sunshine! Thanks for this lovely post and for stopping by. I break that book buying rule more often than I’d like to admit!
You both had busy book weeks! I haven;t read any of the books you mentioned yet, but Kiki & Jacques sounds wonderful, and I really want to read Finding Winnie (big-time Pooh fan here).
Enjoy your books this week –
Sue
Book By Book
Have you read either of the Winnie picture books? If not, you should! They are both wonderful!
Kiki and Jacques is well worth the read!
I absolutely loved Finding Winnie and recommend it highly!
So excited to hear what you both think about Maybe a Fox. I’ve loved Kathi Appelt’s MG novels so much. Magical realism animal stories usually are the opposite of my-type-of-thing, but she tells them so beautifully.
Not always my favorites either, but when they are done correctly, they are brilliant.
Kathi Appelt is something special, right? I am excited to read it!
Love love loved The Most Magnificent Thing and Waiting. Such special books.
I agree. Both are very special!!!
They both are spectacular. I loved them!!
Kellee I can’t wait to read your review of Kiki and Jacques – it sounds wonderful. Ricki, I don’t know how you manage that course load with a little guy! And you both maintain this fantastic blog! So incredible!
I really liked Kiki and Jacques, and I cannot wait to share it with you all as I hope it gets more readers. 🙂