IMWAYR

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!

Tuesday: Review & Giveaway!: Pink is Not a Color by Lindsay Ward
**Make sure not to miss this giveaway!!**

Thursday: Pigeon & Cat by Edward Hemingway

Saturday: Guest Review: The Worrysaurus by Rachel Bright, illustrated by Chris Chatterton

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

Kellee

Here is what I’ve read over the last two weeks:

• Merci Suárez Plays it Cool by Meg Medina: This finale for Merci is perfect. Just such a solid ending to Merci’s middle school years; however, I must warn you that there is tears! I was lucky enough to write the discussion guide for this book, and I cannot wait to share it.
• Paws: Gabby Gets it Together by Nathan Fairbairn, illustrated by Michele Assarasakorn: Trent read this graphic novel, and as soon as he was done, he said I had to read it so we could talk about it; I am glad I did because this is a series that my middle school students are going to love as well. Gabby and her friends are starting a dog walking business, but it is hard enough to be a kid and a friend, much less run a business!

• The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory and The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren: I just enjoy reading rom coms so much and these were just as much fun as I’d hoped (although like all rom coms, there was definitely some drama too, but mostly fun!). I already picked up the rest of The Wedding Date series and more by Christina Lauren.
• A Sitting in St. James by Rita Williams-Garcia: This book took me a week to read because it was so real. Williams-Garcia dove deep into the history of Le Petit Cottage and all that are bound to the plantation. The summary says “tour de force” because this book is epic. It is tome that you must be ready to tackle because nothing is held back. Also, make sure to stay for all of the back matter. (P.S. This book is considered YA; however, it is definitely OLDER YA and adult, so keep that in mind when curating for students.)

To learn more about any of these books, check out my 2022 Goodreads Challenge page or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

This is my week off for a longer update; see you next week!

Kellee

I am on a rom com kick, so we’ll see what I tackle over these next two weeks!

Tuesday:  Student Voices: A Look at Representation and Reading from Kanak S., Naomi G., and Jaz P.

Thursday:  Guest Post: Classroom Uses for Ambitious Girl by Meena Harris, Bunheads by Misty Copeland, I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott, I’m Worried by Michael Ian Black, and Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast by Josh Funk

Saturday: Guest Review: Magyk by Angie Sage

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

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!

Tuesday: Odd Birds: Meet Nature’s Weirdest Flock by Laura Gehl, Illustrated by Gareth Lucas

Thursday: Hope Wins: A Collection of Inspiring Stories for Young Readers edited by Rose Brock

Saturday: Guest Post: Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora

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

Kellee

As always, you can see what I am reading by checking out my 2022 Goodreads Challenge page  or my read bookshelf on Goodreads. I’ll be back next week for a long update 🙂

Ricki

I was absolutely blown away by this book. It is an absolutely gut-wrenching story, and it parallels the stories that many children in our country would tell. In this story, ICE comes to take 16-year-old Mateo and 7-year-old Sophie’s mom and dad. They’ve lived in the country for decades, and they are put in a detention center. If you haven’t read this book, I recommend it highly. Every time I put the book down, I couldn’t stop thinking about Mateo and Sophie.

In this Frankenstein-inspired YA graphic novel, M is for Monster by Talia Dutton, a scientist tries to bring her sister back to life. What she brings back looks like her sister but is an entirely different person inside. As a side note, I liked how this book (similar to the book above) had LGBTQ+ characters but didn’t primarily focus on the fact that the characters were LGBTQ+.

My youngest son picked out Glad, Glad Bear! by Kimberly Gee from the library. In this picture book, it’s Bear’s first dance class, and he is so nervous! He puts on his leggings and tutu but feels shy. When the music starts, he remembers why he is there and ready to dance!

This is one of the best picture books I’ve read about depression. In A Blue Kind of Day by Rachel Tomlinson, Coen is not having a good day. His family tries hard to help him emotionally, but nothing seems to help. They realize that they must be patient. I really liked how realistic this book was, and it allowed me to talk with my children about depression in a frank way that was understandable for them.

In Kapaemahu by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, four Mahu travel with gifts of healing and science and sail from Tahiti to Hawaii. This is a stunning, powerful picture book about honoring our ancestors.

My 5-year-old son loved Don’t Worry, Murray by David Ezra Stein. It was perfect for him because he is also a worrier! Murray is afraid of trying new things because he worries about them. But he learns that he has to work on his worries if he wants to go on adventures.

The World Belonged to Us is Jacqueline Woodson’s newest text, and just like her others, it is masterful. Every teacher is going to want to read this on the last day of school! I love how it captures the wonder of childhood and beauty of Brooklyn.

Ricki

I am listening to Watch Us Rise by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan next!

Tuesday: Review & Giveaway!: Pink is Not a Color by Lindsay Ward

Thursday: Pigeon & Cat by Edward Hemingway

Saturday: Guest Review: The Worrysaurus by Rachel Bright, illustrated by Chris Chatterton

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

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!

Tuesday: I Want to Be a Vase by Julio Torres, Illustrated by Julian Glander

Thursday: Rosa’s Song by Helena Ku Rhee, Illustrated by Pascal Campion

Saturday: Guest Review: Sulwe by Vashti Harrison

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

Kellee

As you may have noticed, I post every other week now (and you’ll see Ricki is going to rotate with me so we’re usually sharing something), so here is what I’ve read since 6/6 (yay! Summer vacation and lots of reading time!):

• Cursed by Jen Calonita: I loved this fractured fairy tale series! The ending was satisfying for all characters which made me like it even more. I highly recommend it to any Land of Stories or Whatever After fans!
• Merci Suárez Changes Gears by Meg Medina & Merci Suárez Can’t Dance by Meg Medina: I am so looking forward to reading the third book in this series this summer, so I reread the first book (which I LOVE and wrote the teaching guide for!) and read the second book for the first time. I like that Merci’s story balances school/friend and family stories in a beautiful way that seems so realistic.
• Flying Lessons and Other Stories from We Need Diverse Books, edited by Ellen Oh: I didn’t know until I read the afterword of Can’t Dance that Merci started as a short story in Flying Lessons which is a short story collection that I owned but hadn’t read yet, so I picked it up and read all of the amazing stories AND got to read Merci’s origin story. It is so interesting to see what Meg Medina changed and kept when turning the short story into a novel.
• All Four Stars by Tara Dairman: This is one of my #mustreadin2022 books that was recommended by a student (thanks, Maria!), and I am so glad she shared this new-to-me series with me that is about a young girl who has a passion for cooking and reviewing food, but doesn’t have the parent support she needs to excel; however, then something extraordinary happens that lends to Gladys being able to share her love, if only she can make it work!

• The Resolutions by Mia Garcia: Another student recommended title (thanks, Leticia!) which I was so happy was shared with me. This YA novel is about 4 friends who are all trying to keep the friendship alive while also figuring out their futures as they finish up junior year so they give each other New Year’s Resolutions to help each other find their passions and also grow closer to each other. A fun and insightful read with great inclusive representation.
• Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri: Nayeri’s prose were just so beautiful while he mixed myth and memoir, far past and recent past. This is unlike any book I have read, and I can definitely see why the Printz honored it.
• To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo: Another student recommended title (thanks, Ana!). I can see why Lira is some people’s favorite anti-heroine! She is truly a misunderstood monster. In this truly twisted siren and pirate tale, adventure is on every page and it definitely keeps you wanting to turn the pages! And I like that it is a standalone fantasy novel!
• Wild Blue Wonder by Carlie Sorosiak: Another #mustreadin2022 novel which was recommended to me for my middle school library, but I wanted to read it before adding it into my collection. This book jumps between a summer that changes everything and the fall after the tragedy that has changed the Sawyer family forever; it looks at grief from different points of view and how to heal from something that no one should have to endure.

• Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, Illustrated by Gabriela Epstein: I am so excited because Christina Diaz Gonzalez is our 2022-23 visiting author for my school! Invisible is her new graphic novel which comes out in the fall, and I cannot wait to share it with my students–they are going to love it!
• Across a Field of Starlight by Blue Delliquanti: Anne Ursu challenged us on her birthday to go to a book store and support queer authors/books, so off I went to Barnes & Noble with my dad where I found this amazing graphic novel full of science fiction epicness. I know students are going to ADORE this book!
• Odd Duck by Cecil Castellucci, Illustrated by Sara Varon: My sister and nephew found this book at the library and LOVE it. Though I had read it in the past, it had been a very long time, so I picked it up after Trent and my sister started talking about which Duck I was. I am so glad I reread it because it is just a joy!
• Cat’s Café by Matt Tarpley: I went to the library with my sister and when checking out the kids graphic novel section, I found this that I had not seen before, but I knew that cats + graphic novels = Trent win! And guess what–I was right! Trent loved it so much, he asked me to read it after him, and it was so funny and cute and everything you want in a book like this.

• Hold Hands by Sara Varon, Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen, & Are You a Cheeseburger? by Monica Arnaldo: All of these were picture books my nephew picked out, and we read together.

• Ain’t Too Bright by Jason Reynolds, Illustrated by Jason Griffin: This book is brilliant. Get it. Then listen to it too. And I promise you–read it. Phew! SO beautiful!
• Inheritance: A Visual Poem by Elizabeth Acevedo, Illustrated by Andrea Pippins: Elizabeth Acevedo knows how to craft words in a way that is exquisite and with Pippins’s artwork, this poem is fantastic.

• Piranesi by Susanna Clarke: My dad bought this book for me after he read it because he felt that I would love it, and you know what? He was right. This magical little book was more than I could even expect. Piranesi is one of two people in his world; a world filled with beautiful sculptures in a spectacular maze. But the world is so much more than it seems! Just read it.
• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Wow–I definitely know why this book is so popular now. The intertwining of Evelyn’s and Monique’s stories was done so well. I really liked this book; glad it was recommended to me. And it has sent me on a romance book kick!
• It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover: Another recommendation that lived up to the expectation and I cannot wait to read the sequel; I can see why Colleen Hoover has such a book following.
• Book Lovers by Emily Henry: I really liked this rom com–it was fun, all about books, and just romance-y enough!
• If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy: What a great twist on Cinderella and The Bachelor! I read this all in one sitting!

I have finally made a small dent in my #mustreadin2022 list! So far I have enjoyed them all, and they all have been so different!

To learn more about any of these books, check out my 2022 Goodreads Challenge page  or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

Because Kellee is rotating weeks, I am going to do the opposite week to make sure we are sharing lots of books each week!

Kellee

I’m reading The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory now then will read A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

Tuesday: Odd Birds: Meet Nature’s Weirdest Flock by Laura Gehl, Illustrated by Gareth Lucas

Thursday: Hope Wins: A Collection of Inspiring Stories for Young Readers edited by Rose Brock

Saturday: Guest Post: Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora

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

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!

Tuesday: Luli and the Language of Tea by Andrea Wang, Illustrated by Hyewon Yum

Saturday: Guest Review: The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin by Julia Finley Mosca, Illustrated by Daniel Rieley

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

Kellee

This is my week off of long IMWAYR posts, so I’ll see you next week. But, as always, you can see what I’m reading by checking out my 2022 Goodreads Challenge page  or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

P.S. IT IS MY BIRTHDAY WEEK! WOOT!

Ricki

I learned so much from Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts by Rebecca Hall. My colleague and I are adopting it as a text to use in our co-taught class next semester. If you haven’t read this book, I can’t recommend it highly enough.

My goodness. This book is just so well-written. I was sucked into Sabaa Tahir’s All My Rage. I found it difficult to stop reading because the stories felt so real to me. This is another book I am using next semester. It’s a masterpiece.

I read the graphic novel The Legend of Auntie Po by Shing Yin Khor in one sitting. I literally could not get off the couch until I finished it. I recommend this graphic novel for all ages, but I think it is extra special for the middle grades.

Ricki

I just started listening to Indivisible by Daniel Aleman.

Tuesday: I Want to Be a Vase by Julio Torres, Illustrated by Julian Glander

Thursday: Rosa’s Song by Helena Ku Rhee, Illustrated by Pascal Campion

Saturday: Guest Review: Sulwe by Vashti Harrison

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

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!

Tuesday: Blog Tour: Drifters by Kevin Emerson

Thursday: Interview with Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, Authors of And Tango Makes Three

Saturday: Guest Review: All the Way to the Top by Annette Bay Pimental, illustrated by Nabi H. Ali

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

Kellee

• Gamer Squad #3: App of the Living Dead by Kim Harrington: This one may be my favorite of the series! Kim Harrington took the same concept of video games coming to life and was able to write 3 very different stories that all were entertaining and just a joy to read. I highly recommend this trilogy for your middle grade readers.
• Drifters by Kevin Emerson: I reviewed this last Tuesday–check it out.
• Hope Wins by various, Edited by Rose Brock: Ricki and I will be reviewing this on June 23rd. I cannot wait to share it with you all.
• 5 Worlds: The Emerald Gate by Mark & Alexis Seigel: I am so glad that Trent told me I HAD to finish this series because I was sure missing out by not reading the finale. The authors just packed so much punch into this series, and it quickly has become one of my favorite fantasy graphic novel series!
• The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton: Wow. The Marvellers is everything the middle grade fantasy world needed and more. Clayton has been so purposeful in her pursuit of creating an inclusive magical school and looking at what a school for global magic would look like. I highly recommend the book, and also check out her interview with We Need Diverse Books (Part 1 & Part 2) because I love listening to her speak about this passion project.

To learn more about any of these books, check out my 2022 Goodreads Challenge page  or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

With family this weekend, so I will be back next week!

Kellee

Reading: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Listening to: Cursed by Jen Calonita

Tuesday: Luli and the Language of Tea by Andrea Wang, Illustrated by Hyewon Yum

Saturday: Guest Review: The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin by Julia Finley Mosca, Illustrated by Daniel Rieley

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

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!

Tuesday: All the Places we Call Home by Patrice Gopo, Illustrated by Jenin Mohammed

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

Kellee

School’s out for the summer!!!!!! This is my off week for a long post; I’ll update my reads then.

To see what I am reading, check out my 2022 Goodreads Challenge page or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

I didn’t finish any books this week, but I’m almost done with three longer books that I’ll share soon!

Tuesday: Blog Tour: Drifters by Kevin Emerson

Thursday: Interview with Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, Authors of And Tango Makes Three

Saturday: Guest Review: All the Way to the Top by Annette Bay Pimental, illustrated by Nabi H. Ali

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

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!

Tuesday: Lettuce Get in Trouble by Linda Kuo, illustrated by Mariana Rio

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

Kellee

• Tricked, Switched, & Wished (Fairy Tale Reform School #3, 4, & 5) by Jen Calonita: Still really enjoying this fractured fairy tale series. Fans of Whatever After and Land of Stories are going to love it–make sure you grab it for your fairy tale fans! I’m excited to get to the finale.
• Close Encounters of the Nerd Kind (Gamer Squad #2) by Kim Harrington: Trent and I are listening to this series, and I really liked the first one, but I loved the second one. Smart how Harrington twisted up the storyline, and now that we know the characters, we are even more invested. Onto the last one!

• The Cobalt Prince, The Red Maze, and The Amber Anthem (5 Worlds #2, 3, & 4) by Mark Siegel & Alexis Seigel, illustrated by Xanthe Bouma, Matt Rockefeller, & Boya Sun: I am so glad that Trent talked me into rereading the first three books in this series and finishing up the whole thing. It is so epic! If you do not have this series yet for your graphic novel and fantasy fans, I highly recommend it!

I also went on a picture book read streak, so I have quite a few to share!

• My Pet Feet by Josh Funk, illustrated by Billy Yong: Josh Funk is just so darn clever, and this picture book is unlike any by him or anyone else. I love it so much, and I cannot wait for everyone to have fun with this book!
• There’s a Unicorn in Your Book by Tom Fletcher, illustrated by Greg Abbott: We have other books in this series, so Trent was so excited to see this new one. Fletcher and Abbott do a good job at keeping the series similar yet adding in little twists to make each book unique.
• Only One by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Chuck Groenink: A beautiful message about our beautiful Earth. (Ricki’s review)
• The Path by Bob Staake: This book is lyrically beautiful, the illustrations are so calm yet expressive, and it is in 2nd person! It also is a wonderful introduction to to extended metaphors (path = life).
• Just Like Jesse Owen by Andrew Young & Paula Young Shelton, illustrated by Gordon C. James: I loved this transfer of oral history from father to daughter to us. It is meant to be read out loud and Gordon C. James brought the history to life through his (as always) brilliancy.

• I’m Growing Great by Mechal Renee Roe: Illustrations 5 stars! I LOVE THEM! The text was so positive though it just didn’t flow as well as I’d like, and I was annoyed by the lower case “i” throughout. It will definitely will be as popular as Happy Hair and Cool Cuts.
• Blast Off: How Mary Sherman Morgan Fueled America into Space by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Sally W. Comport: It makes me both sad and excited when I learn about a new marginalized person from history that changed our world yet has not had the opportunity to be known. Mary Sherman was the first female rocket scientist and changed the history of her profession. I am so glad I got to learn about her in this beautiful book.
• Build! by Red Nose Studio: Oh man, construction loving young kids are going to LOVE this book! And the found object illustrations are so great!
• Once Upon a Forest by Pam Fong: I can see why Ricki had to review this book. This wordless picture book is so cute, uses color so purposefully, and has a wonderful message. (Ricki’s review)
• Sunflower Sisters by Monika Singh Gangotra, illustrated by Michaela Dias-Hayes: What beautiful illustrations and message!

• Time Capsule by Lauren Redniss: Great back matter to add onto the sparse text around a time capsule. Use as a read aloud and guide to making a time capsule!
• A Blue Kind of Day by Rachel Tomlinson, illustrated by Tori-Jay Mordey: This book 💙 I was a child with depression (and now an adult with depression), and this book is something I wish had existed so many years ago because I would have found myself in it. I think this book is going to change lives.
• Not Enough Lollipops by Megan Maynor, illustrated Micah Player: A great lesson in cooperation and generosity using items that students will understand.
• Darryl’s Dream by Darryl DMC McDaniels, illustrated by Tristan Tait: I loved reading DMC’s story. It is about passion and following what you love to succeed. And it is told in a fun way with colorful illustrations that fit the book perfectly!
• Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, illustrated Daniel Minter: What. A. Beautiful. Book! I didn’t know I needed a history of a color, but I am so glad it exists! And the back matter is just an awesome addition.

• How to Hear the Universe: Gaby González and the Search for Einstein’s Ripples in Space-Time by Patricia Valdez, illustrated by Sara Palacios: The math and science within this book is so deep; however, I loved learning about the connection between Einstein and González and modern technology. Another amazing female scientist that hopefully more people will know about now!
• People are Wild by Margaux Meganck: I am a huge fan of this twist on perspective. Great mentor text to talk about point of view and perspective.
• More Than Peach by Bellen Woodard, illustrated by Fanny Liem: I loved learning about the first Crayon activist!
• Where’s My Cat? by Seymour Chwast: This book seems simple, but it is so much more than meets the eye, specifically if used in an art class. And it is silly—kids will love it!
• I’d Like to Be the Window for a Wise Old Dog by Philip C. Stead: I’m a fan of this Stead book! It’ll be an amazing mentor text to imitate the poetic style and also to get students thinking creatively. And always with beautiful illustrations.

• With Lots of Love by Jenny Torres Sanchez, illustrated by Andres Ceolin: What a beautiful story about a love between a granddaughter and her grandmother! Readers will also connect with Rocio’s moving and finding home.
• This is the Tree We Planted by Kate McMullan, illustrated by Alison Friend: Play on The House That Jack Built & would be a good mentor text for students to make their own. I do wish there had been back matter to take it all to the next level.
• My Shadow is Purple by Scott Stuart: Yes! Challenge those gender roles/norms/stereotypes!!!! I love this book for now!
• Elefantastic!: A Story of Magic in 5 Acts: Light Verse on a Heavy Subject by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Brett Helquist: I love Jane Yolen’s writing, and this one has great word play that I can admire; however, I am very anti adopting wild animals and although this book ends with the elephant going to a sanctuary, I think it misses the mark of what it could be when it comes to a lesson about wild animals and sanctuaries and habitats. There just needed to be more.

To learn more about any of these books, check out my 2022 Goodreads Challenge page  or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

These three recent/upcoming releases are all fantastic.

Sabina Hahn’s Pineapple Princess is about a girl who demands to be princess over her kingdom. She makes a pineapple hat, but her subjects (the flies) are NOT cooperating or listening to her.

School Is Wherever I Am by Ellie Peterson reinforces the important message that school is everywhere—not just inside a building with “school” on the sign. I liked this book a lot, and it is a great message to children (and adults!).

Blue Baboon Finds Her Tune is the newest publication by the duo who wrote Snatchabook (Helen Docherty and Thomas Docherty). It’s about a baboon who is eager to play with friends, but a monsoon threatens to ruin her fun. There are great rhymes in this book, and it is a great read aloud!

Kellee

• Reading: Drifters by Kevin Emerson & 5 Worlds: The Emerald Gate by Mark Siegel & Alexis Seigel
• Listening to: Cursed by Jen Calonita & (with Trent) Gamer Squad: App of the Living Dead by Kim Harrington

Ricki

I am almost done listening to All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir.

I have 50 pages left of Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts by Rebecca Hall. I can’t bring myself to finish it because then it will be over. So it travels with me around the house, and I read a couple of pages at a time. Does anyone else do this with books that are really, really good?

Tuesday: All the Places we Call Home by Patrice Gopo, Illustrated by Jenin Mohammed

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