Kellee’s 26 (+20) Top 2013 Reads

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2013 to 2014

This is one of my favorite posts every year!

Welcome to: Kellee’s Favorite Reads of the Year!!!!
**Click on any book title to go to its Goodreads page or Unleashing Readers review**

Favorite Young Adult Realistic Fiction Novels of 2013

You Look Different in Real Life Fangirl Living with Jackie Chan Olivia Twisted

Favorite Young Adult Realistic Fiction Novels Read in 2013 (Not from 2013)

Jumping Off Swings Endangered Ask The Passengers

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe Under the Bridge

Favorite Young Adult Realistic Fiction Novels Read in 2013 (Coming 2014!)

Fat Boy vs the Cheerleaders Threatened

Favorite Young Adult Fantasy Novel Read in 2013 (Not from 2013)

Every Day (Every Day, #1)

Favorite Young Adult Science Fiction Novel Read in 2013 (Not from 2013)

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles, #1)

Favorite Middle Grade/Young Adult Historical Fiction of 2013

Hattie Ever After (Hattie, #2)

Favorite Young Adult Historical Fiction Novel Read in 2013 (Not from 2013)

Wonder Show

Favorite Middle Grade Fantasy Novels of 2013

Doll Bones The Real Boy Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin Sidekicked

Favorite Middle Grade Short Story Collection of 2013

Guys Read: Other Worlds (Guys Read, #4)

Favorite Middle Grade Realistic Fiction Novel of 2013

The Wig in the Window

Favorite Middle Grade Realistic Fiction Novel Read in 2013 (Not from 2013)

Trash

Favorite Nonfiction Graphic Novels of 2013

The Great American Dust Bowl Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: Donner Dinner Party Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas

Favorite Nonfiction Graphic Novels Read in 2013 (Not from 2013)

Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty

Favorite Graphic Novels of 2013

Explorer 2: The Lost Islands Odd Duck

Favorite Graphic Novel Read in 2013 (Not from 2013)

Hilda and the Midnight Giant

Favorite Nonfiction Picture Books of 2013

Barbed Wire Baseball On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein

Favorite Nonfiction Picture Books Read in 2013 (Not from 2013)

The Mary Celeste: An Unsolved Mystery from History The Salem Witch Trials: An Unsolved Mystery from History Faithful Elephants: A True Story of Animals, People, and War

Favorite Picture Books of 2013

I'm a Frog! (Elephant and Piggie, #20) Battle Bunny A Big Guy Took My Ball!
The Snatchabook The Day the Crayons Quit That Is Not a Good Idea!

Mitchell Goes Bowling The Mighty Lalouche

Favorite Picture Books Read in 2013 (Not from 2013)

Each Kindness I Love My New Toy! Let's Go for a Drive! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) Listen to My Trumpet! (An Elephant and Piggie Book)

What were your favorites from this year?
Now onto a new set of amazing books!

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Past lists:
Favorite Non-2012 Books Read in 2012
(59) Favorite 2012 Books
42 (+15) Best Books of 2011

Kellee’s 2013 Reflection

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2013 to 2014

2013 was a life-changing year for me.
The biggest, and most exciting, change was that I am pregnant with my first child (cannot wait for Baby Boy Moye!). Right after finding out I was pregnant, I was given the opportunity to be the reading coach at my middle school and knew that I couldn’t turn down this opportunity to at least try it. This may not be life-changing permanently, but it definitely was present life-changing.  Both of these changes had a major impact on my reading life. 

First, pregnancy. If you have been pregnant then you know what I mean when I saw I was tired for 4 months. More tired than I ever could imagine being. And when I was awake, I was not feeling well or just wanted to veg. These first 4 months of pregnancy were June, July, August, and September–right through summer #bookaday!! This really cut into my summer reading. I actually would find myself on Sunday nights about to do my IMWAYR post and realizing I hadn’t read at all so I’d grab a couple of picture books just to have some numbers. This happened more than I let on (mostly because my pregnancy was a secret at this time too!).  And to be honest, even after I got almost back to my normal self, reading was out of my routine (and I still need extra sleep than I used to). I am still working on getting it back; however, I know all of that will change when the baby arrives though I am really going to push myself to keep my reading part of my life.

Second, reading coach. I was wary of this change. My love of education is 99% because I love impacting students’ lives and being part of their life daily. Being a reading coach is impacting students in a different way and it has been a struggle for me. I miss my students; however, I try so hard every day to make sure that through my coaching, interventions, and classroom library that I am reaching as many of them still even though they are not in my classroom. I wish that I had had a coach to help me through becoming a coach because it is such a huge change. I’m not sure how long I’ll be out of the classroom, but I am still trying to grow and make an impact daily and I hope to find a nice balance.  I think, though, without the pressure of book talks and conferencing and being with students daily, I let my reading slide even more than it would have had I been in the classroom.

Both of these things, unfortunately, made 2013 the lowest reading numbers I’ve had since 2010. (Since 2010 I’ve been blogging, been on twitter regularly, been part of FB’s centurion group, and on a book award committee–all things that have impacted my reading goal and my expectations for myself.) Now, I will say that I am not embarrassed of what I did read in 2013. I am actually very proud based on everything I went through. I just think I had very high expectations for myself this year because I had an amazing reading year in 2012 (I read over 400 books).

2013 Reading Challenge

For 2013, I originally set my Goodreads goal at 333 books. This was a big under what I read in 2012, but I like reaching my goal so I try to make it realistic. However, in about October or November I realized that there was no way I was going to reach this goal and I knew that not reaching my goal would be devastating to me. So, I reevaluated and set a new goal: 225. This one I did meet- YAY!

In 2013 I read:

79 middle grade/young adult novels
12 early chapter books
25 graphic novels
53 picture books
9 adult novels
5 nonfiction graphic novels
36 nonfiction picture books
9 nonfiction books
8 poetry collections
3 interactive/game/novelty books
4 professional books
8 reread young adult novels

Totaling: 251 books!

Overall, I am very proud of my year and am very much looking forward to my even more life-changing 2014! For more reflections, check out my favorite 2013 reads and my 2014 reading goals.

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 12/30/13

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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 hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. 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!

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee 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

top ten tuesday magi elves

celebrating writers letitsnow

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

 

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: I was doing so well with Winter Break #bookaday and then Christmas happened! It is so hard to just excuse yourself from all of the family fun to go read and with people from out of town visiting, it was even harder. With that being said, I did read 5 books over this week.

The first 4 were graphic novels: Romeo and Juliet by Gareth Hinds, The Great American Dust Bowl by Don Brown, Bluffton by Matt Phelan, and Lost Boy by Greg Ruth. They were all VERY different yet I enjoyed them all in a different way. I’ll be reviewing Dust Bowl and Romeo later in the winter.

The 5th book I read was Fangirl  by Rainbow Rowell and OMG! I read it all in one sitting and I loved every second of it! If you have been following my pregnancy reading at all, you know that sitting down and reading a novel in one sitting has been something that has become hard for me, so I was so proud of finishing Fangirl in one night!

Ricki: This week, I finished The Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher. This was quite different from her other book, Stolen. It is a mystery/thriller, and I really enjoyed the way she depicted the setting. I also read several books to baby Henry. We started with a few classics: The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper, Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle (I loved this board book—the see-through sections are beautiful!) and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle. Then, we read some new picture books that were both fantastic! Both were based on true stories. The Man with the Violin is based on a true story and has a wonderful lesson for children (and adults)—to stop and admire the beauty in the world. We also finished On the Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne. This was really fun. I can’t wait to read it to Henry when he is older. I love how it teaches children to be curious.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I am still listening to Neil Gaiman’s Ocean at the End of the Lane, but I am not getting much reading done during the break without the commute. I love what I’ve read so far, but I don’t know how much I’ll get read this week either. I also started reading You Look Different in Real Life by Jennifer Castle and thus far I am really connect with the narrator and I look forward to reading more of it.

Ricki: I am almost finished with The Living by Matt de la Peña. The only reason I haven’t finished it is because I have it in actual book form, and I can only read e-books while nursing. It is very, very good. I am losing some sleep over it because I read it when I should really be sleeping. I also downloaded Winger by Andrew Smith on my Kindle. So far, I am loving it. It is reminding me a bit of John Green’s Looking for Alaska so far.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday Thrice Told Tales 2013 to 2014

 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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Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

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Let it Snow
Authors: John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle
Published October 2nd, 2008 by Speak

Goodreads Summary: Sparkling white snowdrifts, beautiful presents wrapped in ribbons, and multicolored lights glittering in the night through the falling snow. A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks. Thanks to three of today’s bestselling teen authors—John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle—the magic of the holidays shines on these hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and breathtaking kisses.

My Review: You cannot go wrong with those authors! What I found was not only a romantic, funny book, but a perfect holiday read! Let it Snow is like those movies where you follow three very different stories and then eventually they intertwine and everything seems to follow into place. I loved reading each story, wanting to learn more about a certain character and then realizing the next story was about them! The authors also did a fantastic job throwing in aspects of Christmas and pushing the holiday cheer without shoving it down your throat. Let is Snow is one of those books that I want to curl up and read by the fire while it snows outside.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: I would love to read this book in its entirety with students and then try to make a timeline of the three stories and how they overlap. It would be a great discussion of connections and sequence. Also, you could look at the voice of characters and how each author made theirs distinct (and how the others authors kept them distinct in their sections). This could also lead to a great discussion about style.

This book is also loved by students and should definitely be in teen libraries.

Discussion Questions: Think of a time when you were stuck somewhere that you didn’t want to be and couldn’t really do anything about it, how did you feel? What did you do to keep yourself busy? Did something happen that you would not have expected or that wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t stuck or stranded? 

We Flagged:
From “The Jubilee Express” by Maureen Johnson

“‘Oh my god!’ said one of the Ambers. ‘Is this not the worst trip ever? Did you see the snow?’
She was a sharp one, this Amber. What would she notice next? The train? The moon? The hilarious vagaries of human existence? Her own head?
I didn’t say any of that, because death by cheerleader is not really the way I want to go.” p. 22

From “A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle” by John Green

“I dashed upstairs, my socks sliding on the hardwood floor in the kitchen, and stumbled into my bedroom. I tore open the closet door and began feverishly sorting through the shirts piled on the floor in the vain hope that inside that pile there might be some wondrously perfect shirt down there, a nice striped button-down with no wrinkles that said, ‘I’m strong and tough but I’m also a surprisingly good listener with a true and abiding passion for cheers and those who lead them.’ Unfortunately, there was no such shirt to be found. I quickly settled on a dirty but cool yellow Threadless T-shirt under a black v-neck sweater. I kicked off my watching-James-Bond-movies-with-the-Duke-and-JP jeans and hurriedly wiggled into my pair of nice, dark jeans.” p. 131-132

From “The Patron Saint of Pigs” by Lauren Myracle

     “Being me sucked. Being me on this supposedly gorgeous night, with the supposedly gorgeous snow looming in five-foot drifts outside my bedroom window, double-sucked. Add the fact that today was Christmas, and my score was up to triple-suck. And add in the sad, aching, devastating lack of Jeb, and ding-ding-ding! The bell at the top of the Suckage Meter couldn’t ring any louder. Instead of jingle bells, I had suckage bells. Lovely.” p. 215
Read This If You Loved:
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Christmas Classics: Gift of the Magi by O. Henry and The Shoemaker and the Elves by The Brothers Grimm

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The Gift of the Magi
Author: O. Henry
Published 1906

Goodreads Summary: In a shabby New York flat, Della sobs as she counts the few coins she has saved to buy a Christmas present for her husband, Jim. A gift worthy of her devotion will require a great sacrifice: selling her long, beautiful hair. Jim, meanwhile, has made a sacrifice for Della that is no less difficult. As they exchange gifts on Christmas Eve, the discovery of what each has done fills them with despair, until they realize that the true gifts of Christmas can be found more readily in their humble apartment than in any fine store. O. Henry paints a masterly portrait of unfaltering love, a haven from the harsh world outside.

My Review: O. Henry has put so much emotion in a bit over 2,000 words. It is a beautiful story that left me tearing up and truly embodies the meaning of Christmas: the holiday spirit and true love.  You, too, can read this great story thanks to Project Gutenberg- http://www.gutenberg.org/files/7256/7256-h/7256-h.htm

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: This story would be a great one to discuss theme and morals as well as a fabulous introduction to O. Henry and classic short stories.
(Also, The Gift of the Magi is the story alluded to in the 2nd Salem Hyde book by Frank Cammuso.)

We Flagged: “One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one’s cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty- seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.

There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.”

Discussion Questions: Della wants to get her husband the best gift possible for him, so she was willing to sacrifice her most precious belonging- have you ever sacrificed a precious item to help you get something for someone else? If not, would you? For whom? What is your most precious belonging? 

elves

The Shoemaker and the Elves
Authors: The Brothers Grimm
Published 1806

Goodreads Summary: The beloved story of a poor shoemaker, kindhearted elves, and the giving spirit of Christmas.

My Review: This classic is one that is worth revisiting if you haven’t read it recently. There are many different versions, but The Brothers Grimm’s version has an ending that will just warm your heart. Once again available thanks to Project Gutenberg)- http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext04/grimm10a.txt

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: This story also would be a great discussion starter for morals and theme (like most Grimm tales). Another great way to use this story in the classroom is to look at all of the different versions and discuss how the original story has been changed.

We Flagged: “In the morning, after he had said his prayers, and was just going to sit down to work, the two shoes stood quite finished on his table. He was astounded, and knew not what to say to it. He took the shoes in his hands to observe them closer, and they were so neatly made that there was not one bad stitch in them, just as if they were intended as a masterpiece.”

Discussion Questions: Think about a time when someone has helped you even when there was nothing in it for them and share.

Both Recommended For: 

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I hope you all have a fabulous holiday!
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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 12/23/13

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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 hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. 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!

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee 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

top ten tuesday earth oceans Achieving Flow-page0001

18222546 exclamation battle

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

 

Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: I kept working on reading Nerdy nominees this week so I felt prepared when I voted last night. This week I finished A Splash of Read: The Life and Art of Horace PippinLifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animals LivesMr. Tiger Goes WildFrog SongDaredevil: The Daring Life of Betty SkeltonThe Story of Fish and Snail, and Arnie the Doughnut: Bowling Alley Bandit. I can definitely see why they were all nominated! My favorites were Lifetime, Daredevil, Mr. Tiger, and Arnie. These books also helped me start of Winter Break #bookaday right!

Ricki: I read some great children’s books this week. My husband and I read The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt to our son. We were both highly entertained. It is so funny! I can see why everyone seems to love it. We also read a few classics. To name a few–Goodnight Moon (and the modern version with a twist–Good Night New York City) and a great book that I never read as a child called Time for Bed. It made me want to cuddle up and go to sleep.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I didn’t get to some of the graphic novel Nerdy nominees before voting, but I still have them to read: Lost BoyGreat American Dust Bowl, and Bluffton. I also still have Gareth Hinds’s Romeo and Juliet to read (though I may read it before I go to bed). I’m also still listening to Ocean at the End of the Lane by Gaiman, but I don’t know how much listening I’ll get done during break.

Ricki: I have the same goals as last week. I am almost finished with The Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher and am loving The Living by Matt de la Peña. My life is dedicated to this tiny creature who cries often, so I am not meeting all of my goals! 🙂 He is entirely worth it. I also wish he wouldn’t always cry when we read The Velveteen Rabbit because I would like to finish that one. I think it is too many words and not enough stimulation.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

top ten tuesday magi elves

celebrating writers letitsnow

 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!

Happy Holidays!!!!

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Battle Bunny by Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett

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Battle Bunny
Authors: Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett
Illustrator: Matthew Myers
Published October 22nd, 2013 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Goodreads Summary: Alex has been given a saccharine, sappy, silly-sweet picture book about Birthday Bunny that his grandma found at a garage sale. Alex isn’t interested; until he decides to make the book something he’d actually like to read. So he takes out his pencil, sharpens his creativity, and totally transforms the story!

Birthday Bunny becomes Battle Bunny, and the rabbit’s innocent journey through the forest morphs into a supersecret mission to unleash an evil plan; a plan that only Alex can stop.

Featuring layered, original artwork that emphasizes Alex’s additions, this dynamic exploration of creative storytelling is sure to engage and inspire.

My Review: This book made me laugh out loud! What a perfect insight into the mind of a young boy (reminds me of so many doodles I’ve seen on papers over the year!).  Also, I was blown away by the creativity of Sceiszka and Barnett.  I wish I was teaching in a classroom because it would have been a book that I would have brought into the classroom to share with kids (yes, even my middle schoolers. Actually, definitely my middle schoolers.) because it is just so awesome!

Teachers Tools for Navigation: This picture book would be so much fun as a read aloud (original story than the modified one). Also, I can also picture bringing in picture books (maybe older ones or bought at a used book store) and letting the students modify their own! And so much creativity, vocabulary, cleverness, imagination, etc. are needed to transform a text the way Alex did–it’d be such a fun yet tough activity.

There is even a Battle Bunny website (http://mybirthdaybunny.com) where you can make your own story. They give you the original Birthday Bunny text and let you make your own. They actually provide PDFs of the entire text!  Also on the website are educators information that includes a curriculum guide.

Discussion Questions: What other stories could you build around Birthday Bunny?; (Writing activity) Using the picture book you were given, create a new story by changing words and adding photos.

We Flagged: 

Read This If You Loved: Scaredy Squirrel books by Melanie Watts, Bananas in my Ears by Michael Rosen, The Stinky Cheese Man by Jon Scieszka, You Will Be My Friend by Peter Brown

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