Book List

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

 Today’s Topic: Recent Five-Star Reads

Ricki

1. Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee

I sobbed from cover to cover (and that isn’t revealing any plot details)! I cared deeply about the characters in this book and love the way it is written.

2. Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom

This is a fantastic story. It taught me so much of the frustrations I might encounter if I was blind. The story is very well-written, and it made me think about people differently.

3. Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings by Margarita Engle

This lyrical text is receiving a lot of praise, and the praise is spot on. I loved reading this book in verse and learned so much about the Missile Crisis.

4. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

I think I might be cheating by including this book because I read the ARC a few months ago, but it just came out! This book is absolutely phenomenal. It ranks in my favorite books of all time.

5. Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick

I was inspired to read this book after it won the Caldecott. I read it with my aunt in the bookstore, and after we finished, she said, “We have to buy this book, Ricki.” So I broke my rule about not buying books because this particular book is very special. I needed to own it! We will be reviewing it tomorrow!

Kellee

I just went through my Goodreads list and picked the last five 5-star reads!

1. The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart

I’m so glad that I had this on my #mustreadin2016 list and that I chose it for my school’s first teacher book club. I think it has so much to talk about and think about. It is a heart-breaking yet touching story.

2. Alamo All-Stars by Nathan Hale

I love this series. Nathan Hale has a way of making history come alive and adds humor (without being too inappropriate!).

3. Booked by Kwame Alexander

In my opinion, Booked is just as good as The Crossover. It is rhythmic, easy to connect with, and just plain real.

4. Rescued by Eliot Schrefer

Eliot Schrefer knows how to craft a story. His writing just pulls you in and spits you out. You are in his books while you are reading them and don’t want to leave until it is over.

5. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Ruta Sepetys’s ability to craft a historical fiction novel is just awe inspiring. She gives people of the past a voice again.

Which recent books did you read and love?

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Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

 Today’s Topic: Books We Really Love But Feel Like I Haven’t Talked About Enough

Ricki

I decided to highlight diverse books. I highly recommend each of the books below and vow to talk about them more frequently on the blog. These are books that I treasure, and I think you will enjoy them, too!

1. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie

Everyone (myself include) raves about The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. I love this book, but I don’t think we talk about The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven enough. This book is incredibly lyrical and would be a great text to use in classrooms.

2. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

If you missed this book, I highly recommend you get your hands on a copy. This book was life-changing for many of my students, and we had so many phenomenal discussions about humanity.

3. Copper Sun by Sharon Draper

Even experienced readers of slave narratives will learn so much about this book. It is told in two perspectives: Amari, who is torn from her village in Africa, and Polly, an indentured servant. I connected deeply with this text and think about it often.

4. The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon

I read this book about six years ago when it came out, and I still remember how frustrated I felt while I read it. I connected with the characters and wanted to urge them in certain directions. This is a great story, and kids will learn a lot from it.

5. Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes

When I think about writing and poetry, I think about this book. I love the way the teacher engaged the students in writing about their personal lives and wish I’d had students do poetry slams when I was teaching.

Kellee

These are middle grade books that I adore, but don’t book talk and share with my students enough.

1. Hazardous Tales series by Nathan Hale

For my graphic-novel-loving class, for some reason they are scared off by the nonfiction aspect of this series. I need to book talk it and share it more with them to show them how much fun AND informative they are.

2. Olive’s Ocean by Kevin Henkes

This was the book I book talked the most when I taught 6th grade, but then I moved to 7th and 8th and students were not as interested; however, I have moved back to having one 6th grade class, so I need to share it with them. It is a fantastic (and sad) coming of age story.

3. The Wanderer by Sharon Creech

Sharon Creech is a favorite author of mine. I love how she writes and the stories she tells always touch me in some way. My students read Walk Two Moons in 6th grade and Love That Dog in my class, but I need to share more of her titles, including the adventure-filled The Wanderer with them.

4. Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

This book is one that I have never forgotten. Billie Jo is a character that just stays with you, and I often wonder what happened to her next. However, historical fiction is just a hard one to sell, and I forget to book talk this amazing book in verse that is one of the books I say helped me to return to reading.

5. How to Speak Dolphin by Ginny Rorby

Ginny Rorby is another one of my favorite authors because she has a way of telling animal and human stories within the same book that are both equally important, and although we read Hurt Go Happy at the end of the year, I forget to book talk her books throughout the year and by the time we’re done with HGH, the school year is over! I need to remember to share the importance of her books earlier in the year.

Which books do you love and wish you talked about more frequently?

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Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

 Today’s Topic: Books on Our Spring TBR Lists

Ricki

1. The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork

When I heard Francisco X. Stork talk about this book, I knew I needed to read it. I am really looking forward to it. He is an incredible author.

2. Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm

I listened to the author present this book in a reader’s theater format at NCTE. It was so, so funny. I’ll be reading it soon, for sure.

3. The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

This book is cited often, and I know I am going to learn a lot when I read it.

4. The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart

Everyone raves about this book. I need to read it!

5. The Slowest Book Ever by April Pulley Sayre

This book is full of S-L-O-W facts, and I am excited to read and learn from it!

Kellee

I know I was only supposed to do five, but I am so excited for all 7 of these! (And I’m going to read Slow with Ricki also!)

1. The Classy Crooks Club by Alison Cherry

This one looks like a wonderful mix of mystery and humor.

2. Emma G. Loves Boyz: A True Love Journal by Taro Meyer

I cannot wait to book talk this one to my One Direction (and other musicians) obsessed students!

3. Cody and the Mystery of the Universe by Tricia Springstubb

I loved the first one, so I cannot wait to see what Cody is up to!

4. Cici Reno: #MiddleSchoolMatchmaker by Kristina Springer

This looks like a book that middle school Kellee would have loved and her current middle school students will as well!

5. The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin by Elinor Teele

What a fun cover and premise! I love books with quirky protagonists!

6. Ms. Bixby’s Last Day by John David Anderson

This looks different than the other John David Anderson books I’ve read, but his books are always good, and this one doesn’t look like it’ll disappoint!

7. Whatever the choice is for my April and May book club meetings

I started a faculty book club at my middle school, and I found out about one at a close high school, so I am very much looking forward to reading whatever is chosen to go chat about them.

Which books made you laugh?

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Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

 Today’s Topic: Books We Enjoyed Recently that Weren’t Typical Genres/Topics We Read

This was a hard topic for us because we both are open to reading pretty much everything! We tried to think of books that were not the usual genres/topics we go to.

Ricki

1. The Martian by Andy Weir

My husband said, “You won’t like it. It isn’t what you usually read.” I said, “What do I usually read? I read everything!” I suppose he is right. Adult science fiction isn’t usually my thing and the writing wasn’t incredible, but I enjoyed all that I learned from this book.

2. Gena/Finn by Hannah Moskowitz

I don’t tend to enjoy books that feature emails, texts, etc. This book is very well done, and the form added a lot to the story. I really enjoyed it.

3. Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles, America’s First Black Paratroopers by Tanya Lee Stone

I enjoy picture book nonfiction and adult memoirs, but this book appeared more nonfiction-oriented than most books I read. It was a wonderful book and worthy of the praise it has received.

4. The Alphabet Book of Bugs: An ABC Book by Valerie Gates

I do not like bugs. At all. But there is something really awesome about the photography and integration of colors in this book.

5. Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typhoid Mary by Gail Jarrow

This is another nonfiction book I wouldn’t typically pick up. I was very engaged in the story—from cover to cover—and really enjoyed reading it and talking about it with others.

Kellee

This was a tough topic for me! I have made a promise to myself to not read anything I am not enjoying (unless I have to), but these are books that were a bit out of my comfort zone though I still enjoyed.

1. Alistair Grim’s Odditorium by Gregory Funaro

I don’t normally gravitate towards darker odd books like this one, but I am so glad I did because I loved the adventure.

2. Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made by Stephan Pastis

A boy running detective agency with a bear sidekick–sounds so ridiculous. And it is. But also quite funny.

3. Ebola: Fears and Facts by Patricia Newman

Middle grade science nonfiction can be hard for me to be engaged, but this one kept me reading.

4. Ghostlight by Sonia Gensler

I get scared very easily, so I was surprised I stuck with this one, but I had to know the answer to the mystery!

5. Reading Workshop 2.0 by Frank Serafini

I love learning and becoming the best educator I can be, but I am not good at reading professional books cover to cover. I did with this one though!

Which books have you enjoyed recently that are atypical for you?

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