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
Kristy P.
for winning Curiosity House: The Screaming Statue by Lauren Oliver and H. C. Chester!
Last Week’s Posts
**Click on any picture/link to view the post**
Tuesday: Childhood Characters We’d Love to Revisit as Adults
Wednesday: From Kellee’s (Huge) Library Pile Part Eleven: Nonfiction Picture Books
Thursday: Review, Signed Hard Copy Giveaway, and Author Interview: Invisible Fault Lines by Kristen-Page Madonia
Giveaway open until Wednesday!
Sunday: Author Guest Post! by Beth Vrabel, Author of Camp Dork
Last Week’s Journeys
Kellee
I did finish two new picture books when Trent, Jim, and I went to the library this week. It was nice to be reading something other than Trent’s favorites that we read every night. Fetch and Nest by Jorey Hurley seem like simple books at first, but the beautiful artwork with a carefully chosen word within a cycle can lead to great conversation. I also read Bucky and Stu which we’ll be reviewing this week.
Ricki
Henry and I spent some an hour in the bookstore, catching up on books we have missed. I grabbed Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin first. Several mom friends said their picky eaters now eat tacos because they read this book. It is such a funny story, and Henry ate tacos that night!
We’ve been nabbing all of the Llama Llama books by Anna Dewdney from libraries these last two months. Henry made me reread them all at the bookstore. The only one we’d missed (not pictured) was Nellie Gnu and Daddy Too. I think that might be my favorite because the father reminds me of my husband. Henry’s favorite is Llama Llama Mad at Mama. I’ll try not to be offended at that choice. Ha ha!
What is it about the Clifford the Big Red Dog series by Norman Bridwell? As a child, I loved these books. As an adult, I see them as a bit more simplistic than I remembered. That said, my son’s love for them makes me love them, too. The concept of a huge dog is just so silly for kids, I think. We read the above two Clifford books and enjoyed them very much. Henry’s favorite scene is when Clifford’s family jumps out of the birthday cake.
This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee
I am a bit all over the place with my reading this week because I am reading three different books for three different reasons and listening to an audiobook. I actually should be reading a fourth and fifth also… Let me explain.
First, I am reading Hidden by Helen Frost for my faculty book club that meets on Friday. I am almost done, and it has one of the best suspenseful beginnings of any book I’ve read.
I also start book clubs (lit circles) in my class, and there are a few books that were chosen that I need a refresher on. I started Flight #116 is Down by Caroline B. Cooney first because I haven’t read it since middle school, but I also need to pick up The Boy Who Saved Baseball by John H. Ritter and Undercurrents by Willo Davis Roberts because I haven’t read them in about a decade.
And I did start reading Unicorn vs. Goblins because I just think the Phoebe and Heavenly Nostril books are so hilarious!
Lastly, I am listening to Masterminds by Gordon Korman, and the mystery is all coming to light–so good! And I have a feeling that as soon as I am done with #1, I’ll want to read #2. Thank goodness my library has the audio of it also!
Ricki
I am halfway through The Memory of Things by Gae Polisner, and I love it! I just turned in my grades, so I should have a bit more time to free read this week!
Upcoming Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Ten Favorite Book Titles
Wednesday: Review and Author Interview!: Camp Rolling Rills series by Stacy Davidowitz
Thursday: Review and Giveaway!: Bucky and Stu vs. the Mikanikal Man by Cornelius Van Wright
Friday: Rescued by Eliot Schrefer
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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Clifford does the cutest things, and seems so nice, treasured books! I’m reading The Memory of Things, too, really good! And Kellee, somewhere in the book (the end papers) I discovered that Helen Frost also leaves clues at the end of her lines in the story. You read the end words top to bottom. I was amazed that I didn’t know until the end, so see if you can figure it out. Happy Reading!
I’ve heard about the secret in Frost’s book–I cannot wait to revisit it with the new knowledge 🙂
I agree. My son treasures them very much!
We LOVE the Llama Llama books. Have you seen the most recent one? Llama Llama Gram and Grandpa! We only own the original, Time to Share, and the Bully Goat, but have checked all of them out from the library multiple times.
YES! I read that one this week, too! I think we will be reading them quite often!
Hidden is a book I would like to read some day.
Kellee, I saw the Camp books at Barnes and Noble yesterday but I held off… I’ll see you soon enough 🙂
Ricki, I’m about halfway done through Memory too. I think this is Polisner’s best work!
Hidden is a very quick read, Michele (if you aren’t readinga ton of books).
Yes! Soon! 🙂
I am excited to compare notes with you, Michele!
My daughter and I loved the Clifford books, too. I still love the idea of a giant dog and wish I had one. Oh well, our pint-sized lawn ornament (all she does is lie around in the grass these days) will have to do. I loved HIDDEN–and everything else by Frost that I’ve read. I am very jealous of those of you reading Memory of Things already. I can’t wait.
This is my first Frost book, and I am so impressed.
It seems like a giant dog might get a bit inconvenient. But he surely is fun to read about!
Oh, my younger son LOVED Clifford – both the books and the TV show.
Looks like lots of good books, Kellee, though I don’t know how you’re juggling them all! Glad you are enjoying Masterminds. #2 is coming up soon on my audio queue!
Enjoy your books this week –
Sue
Book By Book
Loving Masterminds! Cannot wait to start listening to #2 🙂 Maybe we’ll be reading it at the same time.
P.S. I don’t know how I am juggling them either! I am a single book gal, so this is a daring move for me.
I love all of the Clifford love on this post!
Dragons Love Tacos is a fun book, though I have to admit I loved Rubin’s book Big Bad Bubble more. I laughed so hard I cried with that one.
Ah! I am going to have to read that one, too! Will it make my child want to eat more?
Isn’t Masterminds fun?! I read it over this past Christmas break on my Kindle. Even though we had traveled to visit family for the holidays, I had a difficult time putting it down! I’ve ordered a copy for my classroom for next year & I know it’ll be very popular. I need to read the sequel! Hope you’re enjoying it, too! Have a terrific week!
I just bought it for my classroom too! I’m excited for the sequel!
Kelle, I loved reading your nonfiction post, especially about the Hillary Clinton title. I’ve been fascinated by the electioneering going on in your country, and have been especially distressed by some of the negativity. I admire your ability to read so many books at a time. It is beyond me to follow more than a couple.
Rickie, Clifford and Llama have never gone out of style! I hope to get to The Memory of Things, but I’m feeling kind of overwhelmed by the pile of books waiting for me!
I really love politics, but the negativity is so tough. I like when there are stories of politicians out there that takes away all of that and just tells their story.
Cheriee, I also feel overwhelmed, but I suppose I will keep on pushing. I completely agree that the negativity of this election is painful for me, too!
I like reading several books at once. Keeps me interested. I mean, people often watch several different TV shows in the same week and they don’t get confused about who’s on Law and Order vs. Good Wives, right?
I never used to read multiple books at a time, but now I am almost always doing this. It’s nice to have different books going for different reasons. I usually have an audio book in the car and then there are so many other reasons I need to be reading multiples. It’s kind of nice when one is difficult because then I don’t stop altogether.
I enjoyed the way Frost hid things within the poems.
Ricki, I didn’t grow up with Clifford, so while I understand that children love him, I have never become a big fan. I don’t think I shared him a lot with my children either. I need to revive those books in my library because I bet there are a lot of pre-k and kindergarten students that would really have fun taking those books home.
I love the look of Freedom in Congo Square – super lots of books here, they all look awesome.
Yay for more Masterminds love! And Llama Llama is such a fun series. And Dragons Love Tacos is such a winner!