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: Kellee’s #MustReadin2021

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk

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

Kellee

Happy American Library Association Youth Media Awards Day!!!!
Congratulations to all of the winners and honors!
However, I also want to say:

As a member of an award committee, I just want to make sure that it is known how tough these decisions are. Creators, if you don’t find yourself on one of the lists tomorrow, please know that doesn’t negate the beauty of what you created. Bravo to all!

Now onto my reading: I love being on the Schneider Book Award Committee–it is an honor and a privilege. But I also love the months when I get to read whatever I want!! Since we made our decision on the 8th, I’ve been able to read books of my choice!

Here is what I read last week:

• I have wanted to read Dash and Lily for years and it was finally the Netflix show that pushed me to do so. My sister and I are watching it together, but I listened to the book first. Such a cute Christmas romance! I can see why so many people love it.
• Here We Are edited by Kelly Jensen explores feminism. I learned so much and it definitely made me think! I love Jensen’s books because they always have different perspectives and help me grow as a person.
• The Cousins by Karen McManus was a bit different than the other McManus books but it ends up being as twisted and intense in the end! Once again, a book I couldn’t put down! And I want more! What does that thing at the end mean?!?
• Speaking of books I couldn’t put down… That Weekend by Kara Thomas is WHOA! I’m still very mad at some people. I’m still shook at certain events. I still have questions! Kara Thomas does it again!
• From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks was more than I even knew I was getting into. I know I’ve mentioned it, but I don’t usually read summaries. I may read like a one sentence thing or some reviews, but I mostly listen to recommendations. Zoe Washington was a delightful book but also an intense book. It has SO much to unpack but it was also a thoroughly enjoyable read. A wonderful debut!
• And last but definitely not least: Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas. I can see why Angie felt like she needed to tell this story. Like THuG, the writing is beautiful, the story is real, and the feelings are everything. Another book I couldn’t put down this week.

Trent and I read 3 more books on the Sunshine State Junior list. We were already fans of Fox and Chick’s The Quiet Boat Ride, and we also liked T-Bone the Drone by Shanda McCloskey & When Grandma Gives You Lemonade by Jamie L.B. Deenihan, illustrated by Lorraine Rocha.

To learn more about any of these books, check out my 2020 Goodreads Challenge page  or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

I am going to let Kellee shine this week because she’s worked so hard for this. Kellee, I am so proud of you.

Kellee

Reading: Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

Listening: The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

Reading with Trent: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Tuesday: Schneider Family Book Awards

Thursday: Nonfiction Writers Dig Deep: 50 Award-Winning Children’s Book Authors Share the Secret of Engaging Writing edited by Melissa Stewart

Sunday: Author Guest Post by Vivian McInerny, Author of The Whole Hole 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?
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!

Thursday: Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Remarkable Journey by Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

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

Kellee

Yay! I am so glad to be back! Being back means: the 2021 Schneider Family Awards have been chosen! Now to just wait for the announcement on Monday, January 25th at 8am CST at https://ala.unikron.com/ 🙂

Since I haven’t been able to post at all in 2021, I am going to share everything I have read thus far (that I can share). There is a lot of goodness to share here, so sorry not sorry for the long post!

Graphic Novels:

• Katie the Catsitter by Colleen A.F. Venable, illustrated by Stephanie Yue: Well, this was nothing like I thought it was going to be. Instead IT WAS EVEN BETTER! What looks like a cute catsitter story is actually a superhero story with brilliant cat sidekicks! LOVED IT, and it was immediately checked out from our school library!
• The Runaway Princess by Johan Troïanowski: Lots of picture books are interactive but rarely do you see a book for older children that is (other than choose adventure type books), but The Runaway Princess has fun interactive sections where the reader gets to be part of the adventure. That, along with the unique storytelling and adventures, makes this graphic novel a wonderful read.

Novels

• The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate: So, I am an ape fan, if you didn’t know, so I am a HUGE fan of both the Ivan book and picture book, so I was actually a bit worried about a Bob book. But I needen’t be–though VERY different than the first, it is just as heartfelt and emotional and everything you want.
• The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer: Holy sentient computer and LOVE in space, Batman! Wow. Phew! Couldn’t put this one down! So much to unpack with this one! Love the positives of what a human future could look like, but the negatives were terrifying. And be ready for twists and turns!
• Tales of Witchcraft by Chris Colfer: This second book in the prequel to Land of Stories series continues Bristol’s story as The Fairy Godmother. This series feels particularly relevant right now as Bristol fights an secret society that wishes to take over and destroy all that are not like them……. Chris Colfer is a genius.

Picture Books (all read with Trent; if I don’t share below it is just because it is a reread, and I’ve shared before):

• Dandy by Ame Dyckman, Illustrated by Charles Santoso: Trent and I loved the humor in this one and the puniness of it being called Dandy with lions as main characters.
• Pencil by Ann Ingalls, Illustrated by Dean Griffiths: A clever story looking at how you can find exciting things without technology.
• Stand Up! Speak Up! by Andrew Joyner: A good introduction to climate change and activism for children.
• Be You! by Peter H. Reynolds: I just love Reynolds’s work and so does Trent. This one is all about being whoever you are and how that is everything.
• Fallingwater by Marc Harshman & Anna Egan Smucker, illustrated by LeUyen Pham: I love Pham’s work! And I love Frank Lloyd Wright’s work! And Trent enjoyed the book and immediately asked if we could go to Fallingwater. I call this book a win-win-win.
• 16 Words by Lisa Jean Rogers, illustrated by Chuck Groenick: William Carlos William is one of my favorite poets and “The Red Wheelbarrow” is one of my favorite poems to introduce him to students. I loved this story of WCW and how the poem came to be (and it was a great introduction to him for Trent).
• Digging For Words by Angela Burke Kunkel, illustrated by Paola Escobar: This book tells the story of José Alberto Gutiérrez, a garbage collector in Bogota, and the library he has built in his home for the children of his neighborhood. This is a story I didn’t know, and I’m so glad I do now!
• On a Beam of Light by Jennifer Berne, illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky: This was a reread of a favorite for me, but my first time reading it with Trent. I was a bit nervous, but I did not need to be–Trent was enthralled and had SO many questions about everything.
• Avocado Asks: What Am I? by Momoko Abe: Avocado is having an identity crisis, but a small neighbor helps him see that his identity is whatever they want it to be.
• I Am Not A Penguin: A Pangolin’s Lament by Liz Wong: WE LOVED THIS BOOK! Funny and smart and great illustrations! Highly recommended.

• Hike by Pete Oswald: A beautiful wordless tale of a father and son on a hike to plant a tree.
• Daniel’s Good Day by Micha Archer: I love Archer’s illustrations! This story of Daniel looks at what makes a good day.
• Cannonball by Sascha Cotter, illustrated by Josh Morgan: A young Maori boy wants to make a splash but he has to figure out how HE can find the strength to do it.
• Danbi Leads the School Parade by Anna Kim: BEAUTIFUL illustrations and a beautiful story about a new student in an American school from South Korea and the common language that children can find and acceptance of each other.
• On a Sleepy Hill by Patricia Hegarty and Xuan Le: A book of cut outs exploring forest animals settling in for the night.
• Welcome to Florida illustrated by Asa Gilland, from DoubleDay Books for Young Readers: This book is part of the Welcome To series which introduces its readers to each state. The illustrations were fun and overall it was a pretty good introduction to Florida. I have some criticisms as a Floridian about the lack of authenticness in what is shown in Florida, but as an introduction it does well.
• My Heart is a Compass by Deborah Marcero: Sometimes the most interesting thing you have is yourself! A beautiful exploration of imagination.
• Where Happiness Begins by Eva Eland: When Sadness is at Your Door was one of my favorite 2019 picture books, so Trent and I were happy to see this companion. Another great book to help young children deal with strong emotions.

To learn more about any of these books, check out my 2020 Goodreads Challenge page  or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

School starts this week for me, and in-person school starts for my first grader, so I am bowing out for a week, but I will see you all next week!

Kellee

I’m working on my #BitAboutBooks Winter Reading Challenge! I’ll be sharing it on my #MustReadin2021 post tomorrow 🙂

Tuesday: Kellee’s #MustReadin2021

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk

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!

Thursday: Scooper and Dumper by Lindsay Ward
Giveaway ends Wednesday!

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Amelia Six by Kristin L. Gray

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

Kellee

Deliberating on Schneider this last weekend and the press release is due to ALA today, so taking one more week off of IMWAYR. See you next week!

Ricki

This week, I read Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho. It is absolutely lovely, and I am excited to review it in full on Thursday.

I also reread some books for some NCTE presentations. More on those presentations soon. Who else is proposing something for NCTE this year?

Ricki

Admittedly, I am in a bit of a reading rut. Picture books and early chapter books are still going strong, but I haven’t read YAL this week beyond my rereads. I have some really great books in my queue, but the news, lots of children, and the semester starting have made reading a bit difficult. What recent book have you read that really kicked up your reading energy?

Thursday: Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Remarkable Journey by Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

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!

We were on a holiday vacation the last two weeks, but we have some great posts from right before our vacation that you might check out!:

 

Tuesday: Books Kellee Learned About at the ALAN workshop is SO EXCITED to Read

Thursday: Author Guest Post by Erica Perl, Author of The Ninth Night of Hanukkah

Sunday: Author Guest Post by Kenneth Davis, Author of Strongman: The Rise of Five Dictators and the Fall of Democracy

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

Kellee

Our Schneider deliberation is this weekend, so I am rereading and quickly and thoroughly as I can! See you on the other side!

Ricki

Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh deserves all of the praise it has been receiving. I listened to it on audio and found myself pausing and quietly listening to each word. I loved this book.

When I told two colleagues that I was about to listen to Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson on audio, they both warned me that it was a tough read. Tiffany D. Jackson does not hold back any punches with this book. It sucked me in from the very first words. If you haven’t read this book, I insist that you do.

Lindsay Ward is one of my favorite children’s book authors, so I was so thrilled to see this new book Scooper and Dumper. Ahh, it is so delightful. All three of my kids (20mo, 4yo, and 7yo) loved this one and couldn’t get enough of it. Review to come this Thursday!

Ricki

I just got three of my ALAN e-galleys in, and I am REALLY excited to start them! YAY!

Thursday: Scooper and Dumper by Lindsay Ward

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Amelia Six by Kristin L. Gray

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!

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: Books Kellee Learned About at the ALAN workshop is SO EXCITED to Read

Thursday: Author Guest Post by Erica Perl, Author of The Ninth Night of Hanukkah

Sunday: Author Guest Post by Kenneth Davis, Author of Strongman: The Rise of Five Dictators and the Fall of Democracy

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

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: Educators’ Guide for A Stone Sat Still by Brendan Wenzel

Thursday: The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez, Illustrated by Lauren Semmer

Sunday: Educator Guest Post: “Story Talk: Use Conversation to Fall in Love with a Book–A Reading Resource using Float by Daniel Miyares” by Hillary Wolfe

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

Kellee

I’m sorry–because of my Schneider reading, I just do not have much to share this week.

I did get some new reading in with Trent this week though!

We loved Snowman’s Story, a great wordless picture book for this time of year, and we liked How to Catch an Elf. Robots by Melissa Stewart was so informative and sent Trent on a knowledge hunt about robots! And the newest King & Kayla is a great addition to the series.

To learn more about any of these books, check out my 2020 Goodreads Challenge page  or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Kellee

Just reading and rereading for the Schneider Family Book Award!

Tuesday: Books Kellee Learned About at the ALAN workshop is SO EXCITED to Read

Thursday: Author Guest Post by Erica Perl, Author of The Ninth Night of Hanukkah

Sunday: Author Guest Post by Kenneth Davis, Author of Strongman: The Rise of Five Dictators and the Fall of Democracy

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