IMWAYR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
For readers of all ages

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how 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. The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

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!

Thursday: Sofia’s YA Book Nook: The Other Side of Tomorrow by Tina Cho

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

Kellee

• The Ruling Class by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: This book was published in 2015 as the title The Fixer and rereleased in 2025 with a new title, new cover, and now has an audiobook, too! I hadn’t heard of it as The Fixer, so was excited to find a new Jennifer Lynn Barnes book to read, and I was not disappointed! This is a book filled with great suspense, characters, and relationships all with the background of Washington D.C., politics, and power. There is a sequel already out, but I am going to wait for it to be rereleased and put out as an audiobook–this first book did leave things open for book 2 but the main conflict from book 1 is complete.
• Georgia Watson and the 99 Percent Campaign by Sara Shacter: I am always happy when a character in a book actually acts like their age and Georgia truly represents what it is like to be a 6th grade student learning how to fit in at a school she’s returning to after moving so much. My heart really felt for her as she worked through everything but she was also VERY frustrating because, like a true 6th grader, she makes some terrible decisions. But thankfully her goodness rises to the surface, and the reader, and all her classmates, get to see who she truly is.

And you can always learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

This is my week off; see you next week!

Kellee

• Reading: The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro
  • MARK OSHIRO CAME TO MY SCHOOL LAST WEEK!!! I CAN’T WAIT TO SHARE PHOTOS AND REFLECTIONS FROM THEIR VISIT WITH YOU IN DECEMBER!
• Listening: Control Freaks by J.E. Thomas

Wednesday: Looking Back on ALAN 2024

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?
For readers of all ages

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how 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. The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

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!

Wednesday: Educators’ Guide for A Universe of Wishes Edited by Dhonielle Clayton

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

Kellee

It’s my week off! You can always learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

I am overextended this week, so I am going to hold off on posting books! Enjoy your week of reading!

Thursday: Sofia’s YA Book Nook: The Other Side of Tomorrow by Tina Cho

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?
For readers of all ages

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how 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. The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

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!

Thursday: Sofia’s YA Book Nook: Sequels and Prequels Worth Reading

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “My Hope” by Frank W. Baker, Author of Risk, Resilience, and Redemption: A Miraculous Holocaust Survival Story

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

Kellee

Middle Grade

• The Trials of Apollo #4 (The Tyrant’s Tomb) and #5 (The Tower of Nero) by Rick Riordan: I cannot really review these because of how far they are into the series, but I will say that reading this series was truly a pleasure. I loved the narrator, characters, plot, quests, adventures… everything. I really enjoyed every book and every chance I had to read.
• Mid-Air by Alicia D. Williams: This book is on the 6th-8th grade Sunshine State Young Reader Award list, so when I was deciding what to listen to next, I picked it because SSYRA books are usually good, and man, am I happy I chose this one! Isaiah is feeling lost the summer before high school and then a tragedy strikes sending his world into shambles; he soon realizes he may need a change to truly get over this tough time. This book is heartbreaking at times but ends with so much hope and speaks to those of us who may not always be the coolest or the may be a little weird–we have the right to joy also.
• Where There Be Monsters by Alby C. Williams: Glory is so tired of her quiet life at home and wants an adventure more than anything, but when she finds herself in an adventure that puts her and others’ lives in danger and shows how dangerous her world can be, she wonders if she made the right choice. In a fantastical world full of monsters, fantastical characters, other worlds, and magic, I enjoyed learning about the mythology of the world and following Glory on her journeys.

Young Adult

• Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro: Since Mark Oshiro is coming to my school (in less than 2 weeks!), I am still reading their books in preparation. Anger is a Gift was a Schneider Book Award Winner and was Mark’s debut. I read it in 2018 and it really made me feel and think, so I wanted to reread it before their visit. I am glad I did. This book is very different than their middle grade books and the messages within Anger is a Gift are ones that are so important. Moss’s story is heartwrenching and brutal, and the book takes the reader through so many emotions, including the fear around one of Moss’s panic attacks, anger at the violence that took his father, love when Moss looks at Javier… and that is just at the beginning of the book. A very tough read but one I am glad I read.

And you can always learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

This is my week off; see you next week!

Kellee

• Reading: The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro
• Listening: The Ruling Class by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Wednesday: Educators’ Guide for A Universe of Wishes Edited by Dhonielle Clayton

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?
For readers of all ages

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how 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. The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

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!

There were no posts last week because I (Ricki) had COVID! 🙂

Kellee

Today is my day off from IMWAYR, but you can learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

Picture Book

This picture book is absolutely gorgeous. I haven’t been doing full reviews lately, but I will absolutely be reviewing this book in full—it blew me away. And They Walk On by Kevin Maillard.

Middle Grade

Kyle Lukoff does a phenomenal job capturing the characters’ hearts in A World Worth Saving. I appreciated the Jewish representation, and the main character is trans. His parents are doing conversion therapy for him, but then some very unexpected events occur, starting with his good friend going missing.

Young Adult

I am trying to read all of the Walden Award finalists because they are always really good, and Grief in the Fourth Dimension by Jennifer Yu did not disappoint. It’s a book about two kids who recently died and are sitting in a sort of purgatory room—watching over their loved ones. I cried a lot while reading this book.

I had never read Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, so I decided to try it out. It was very enjoyable.

Tall Water by SJ Sindu and Dion MBD is a graphic novel about a girl who visits Sri Lanka to meet her mother for the first time in 16 years. This story has so much heart.

Angeline Boulley’s Sisters in the Wind is a phenomenal book that I can’t share much about because there would be so many spoilers. I found the story riveting—and the main character exists in the world of the previous two books!

I convinced my book club to read a YA book, and we read Heir by Sabaa Tahir. Every time I read one of her books, I am just floored by her talent. This book follows three characters’ stories, and I felt like I fell into the world she created.

Adult

Max Barry’s Lexicon was a book club book that I didn’t choose but enjoyed. What I liked a lot about this book was that it explored the ethics of persuasion. I found this to be very interesting.

So many friends in Colorado have recommended Go As a River by Shelley Read, so I went for it. I appreciated the historical nature of this text and how place-based it was. It reminded me a lot of Broken Country.

My incredible coworker Sarah Perry wrote Sweet Nothings, a creative nonfiction text that explores many, many different types of candies. This is a book about much more than candy, though. Perry masterfully weaves in stories from her life and others—I loved it (and I swear I am not just saying that because I know her). This book made me want to journal, which I think is the sign of a really great book.!

Adult Romance

My sister-in-law loves Elle Kennedy, so I had to keep up with her by reading The Dixon Rule and The Charlie Method. These are some pretty spicy romances.

Thursday: Sofia’s YA Book Nook: Sequels and Prequels Worth Reading

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “My Hope” by Frank W. Baker, Author of Risk, Resilience, and Redemption: A Miraculous Holocaust Survival Story

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?
For readers of all ages

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how 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. The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

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!

 

Wednesday: What Kellee’s Students Read in September

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Beyond ‘What’s Wrong?’: How the Stories in Our Classrooms Can Heal Fading Dreams, by Andrei Goanta, Author of The Library of Lost Dreams

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

Kellee

Today is my day off from IMWAYR, but you can learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

I’m sorry I can’t post today; I should be back on my next turn.

No posts this week–use this time to check out some of our other posts or posts by our IMWAYR blogs that link below.

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?
For readers of all ages

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how 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. The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

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!

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Asking ‘What If’ About Our Real-Life Experiences” by Kevin Garone, Author of Night of the Living Toilet Paper

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

Kellee

• You Only Live Once, David Bravo by Mark Oshiro: David Bravo is not liking middle school so far but then a magical creature shows up telling him that he can go fix a mistake in his past to fix his life–will it be that easy?! Obviously not, and what happens is a humorous and heartfelt look at our lives and how we make the decisions we do. This book, like Mark Oshiro’s other middle grade books, dealt with identity, but this time it was surrounded more by the unknown history of his adoption.
• Love Craves Cardamom by Aashna Auachat: I loved this second book in the Love in Translation series! The first one was great, too–I can’t wait for the third! I can’t tell you my favorite part about the book because it spoils the ending, but I can say that the book deals with more than what a normal rom-com does and looks at love in all forms: self, family, friend, romantic, passions, etc. And the inclusion of history and art in the book just put it over the top for me!

And you can always learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

This is my week off; I will update you next week!

Kellee

I just finished Love Craves Cardamom and the discussion guide I was writing for it, so I am not sure what I am going to read next! I may continue the Trials of Apollo series or I may find something else!

 

Wednesday: What Kellee’s Students Read in September

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Beyond ‘What’s Wrong?’: How the Stories in Our Classrooms Can Heal Fading Dreams, by Andrei Goanta, Author of The Library of Lost Dreams

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?
For readers of all ages

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how 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. The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

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!

Wednesday: Educators’ Guide for Ferris by Kate DiCamillo

Sunday: Author’s Guest Post: “Inspiring Young Writers Wound Up Inspiring Me!” by Julia Krebs Patterson, Author of Charlie and the Crystal Cave

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

Kellee

It’s my week off! You can always learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

I am not able to post this week, but I hope you all have a great reading adventure!

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Asking ‘What If’ About Our Real-Life Experiences” by Kevin Garone, Author of Night of the Living Toilet Paper

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