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: Ten Bookish People You Should Follow On Twitter/Facebook
Wednesday: Blog Tour and Review!: The Slowest Book Ever by April Pulley Sayre
Thursday: Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins
Friday: #mustreadin2016 Spring Update
**Click on any picture/link to view the post**
Last Week’s Journeys
Kellee: My reading week has not been very successful. It was a super busy week, and I just couldn’t find as much reading time as I’d hoped. I am ALMOST done with The Mechanical Mind of John Coggins, and I hope I am done by the time that this goes live. I also read Monster Needs to Go to School. Both books are going to be reviewed this week 🙂
Ricki: I was at the AERA conference this week. It’s a convention for people to present their latest research. For those of you who go to NCTE, the sessions are similar, but all of the presentations require uploads of full research papers, so it is a bit more formal. They do panel sessions, symposiums, roundtable discussions, and poster presentations. I enjoy listening to the research and like how it is different from NCTE, in many ways. That said, I am a die-hard NCTE gal, and I always miss my NCTE family while I am at AERA. I found a few NCTE/ALAN folks, and we had a nice, warm embrace and excitedly talked about this year’s NCTE conference. I went to a really cool session that critiqued LGBTQ and disability policies in schools, and I also attended two rockstar sessions about enacting social justice in the classroom. I am pumped to integrate these ideas into my syllabus.
I read Lenny & Lucy by Philip C. Stead. What an interesting, quirky book! I’d love to hear what you all thought about it. Because of the nature of planes (turn technology on…turn technology off) and my ever-going nausea, I had to flip between an audiobook, paper book, and e-book. Therefore, I didn’t finish any of the three YA books I read this week.
This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee: I am still listening to The Terrible Two, and it is quite entertaining! After I finish John Coggins, I am not sure what I am going to pick up next–I’ll let you know what I chose next week!
Ricki: I am listening to All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, reading Curiosity House: The Screaming Statue by Lauren Oliver and H. C. Chester on my Kindle, reading Invisible Fault Lines by Kristen-Paige Madonia on my computer, and reading George by Alex Gino on paper. I like to make my life as complicated as possible. I will say that all four books are excellent. 😉
Upcoming Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Exclusive Reveal!: Teaching Guide for Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo
Wednesday: National Parks Week: A Weird and Wild Beauty by Erin Peabody & National Geographic’s National Parks Guide U.S.A.
Thursday: Blog Tour and Review!: Monster Needs to go to School by Paul Czajak
Friday: Blog Tour, Character Q&A, Giveaway, and Review!: The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin by Elinor Teele
Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “Picture Books: Better Than Teddy Bears” by Dawn Marie Hooks, Author of Sarah and her Twirling Toes
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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I haven’t attended an AERA conference yet – but my colleagues have done several presentations. And a former research colleague did present in our behalf a few years back since I wasn’t able to attend. Maybe next year. :)I really am intrigued by Raymie Nightingale. While I haven’t read much of Kate DiCamillo’s novels, my daughter and I adored Flora and Ulysses.
Flora and Ulysses was wonderful! Raymie is different but just as special.
I had fun at the conference! I am still thinking about the presentations. We’ll have to meet at a future AERA, perhaps!
I’m currently rereading Peter Nimble And His Fantastic Eyes before I treat myself to Auxier’s new book, Sophie Quire And The Last Storyguard. I really live his writing!
They are both such wonderful books! I hope you enjoy Sophie especially–it has a special place in my heart!
Sounds like a full last week for both of you! Have a good next week, too!
Thanks, Linda! 🙂
I’ll look for the upcoming Monster post, I enjoyed Czajak’s other Monster books.
I enjoyed Lenny and Lucy. I loved that there was this guardian for the house. The illustrations were beautiful. I’m always on the fence for Stead’s books, but this one I loved!
I love the Monster books! Great stories and lessons.
I agree that the illustrations were incredible. I was captivated by them!
Life is so busy – interesting to read about other people’s busy! Ricki I hope you enjoy all of your books you are in the middle of. Your conference sessions sound really interesting. Kellee looking forward to hearing about your next read!
Me, too, Carrie 🙂 I cannot decide!
Thanks, Carrie! I am hoping to finish a couple this week. I have to finish some schoolwork first. 🙂
I really loved Lenny & Lucy–my favorite PB of 2015. It felt like such a classic to me–a book I could have read and loved in the 1970s or today. I love how the Steads always keep their books open-ended–not everything is explained, not all threads have to be connected. And that wallpaper! I’ve been struggling to settle into a book since I finished Euphoria–serious book hangover there. Hoping to find something to commit to this week. Have a great reading week!
Book hangovers are the worst! I went through a streak of books I LOVED during Spring Break then right after, and I am having a hard time with getting into the swing of things as well. Good luck!
I agree. I read it twice–trying to figure out exactly their intentions. I love the open-ended nature of the story!
Wow, sounds like you are both tackling some great books – I haven;t read any of the ones you mentioned yet except George, which was very good on audio.
The conference sounds interesting, Ricki. Teaching seems like a very rewarding career (hard but rewarding!).
Hope you both enjoy your books this week –
Sue
Book By Book
I agree–George was very good on audio!
Teaching is definitely a rewarding career. It is both invigorating and exhausting! But I love it!
AERA sounds like an interesting but intense conference. I agree with you though about being a hardcore NCTE lover. 🙂
I loved Mother Bruce so much! I cannot wait to read Hotel Bruce. I will be impatiently waiting for October on that one!
I didn’t even know about Hotel Bruce! I am adding it to my list! Thanks, Beth!
Ricki – I love all the various formats of reading you’re enjoying – I hope you can keep them all straight! Ha. I loved Lenny and Lucy! Kellee – I haven’t read The Terrible Two OR John Coggins. Yikes! I need to put them on my list. Happy reading!
Kelle, I’m looking forward to reading your thoughts on The Mechanical Mind of John Coggins. It just sounds like such a fun book.
Ricki, the conference sounds fabulous. I love these opportunities to challenge and stimulate my thinking. Maybe when I retire I will go and finish my phd.I loved All American Boys and George (except that I don’t understand why transgender girls seem to want to be so stereotypically girly)
Hope you both have a wonderful reading week ahead of you.
I would agree that Terrible Two is entertaining. I listened to it also.
I thought Lenny & Lucy was sweet. It’s a very quiet story and it totally made me smile.
All American Boys is on my to eventually read list. I’ve been hearing good things about it since it first came out. I love introducing customers to The Terrible Two. They love it!