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: Neal Shusterman’s Visit to Kellee’s School

Sunday:  Author Guest Post: “Supporting Teachers with #PointsforTeachers” by Alane Adams, Author of Witch Wars

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

Have an amazing week! Our school, our kids’ school, family, and professional obligations have filled up our time recently and this week’s IMWAYR just didn’t happen–we apologize! We love hosting, and we’ll be back soon!!

Saturday:  Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: My Favorite Books by Roald Dahl

Sunday: Author Guest Post by L.G. Reed, Author of The Schience of Defying Gravity

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: Our World: A First Book of Geography by Sue Lowell Gallion, Illustrated by Lisk Feng

Thursday: Blog Tour with Reviews and Book Trailer: Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast: Short & Sweet by Josh Funk, Illustrated by Brandon Kearney

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

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

Kellee

• Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson: “For as long as ZJ can remember, his dad has been everyone’s hero. As a charming, talented pro football star, he’s as beloved to the neighborhood kids he plays with as he is to his millions of adoring sports fans. But lately life at ZJ’s house is anything but charming. His dad is having trouble remembering things and seems to be angry all the time. ZJ’s mom explains it’s because of all the head injuries his dad sustained during his career.”
• This is My Brain in Love by I.W. Gregorio: “Jocelyn Wu has just three wishes for her junior year: To make it through without dying of boredom, to direct a short film with her BFF Priya Venkatram, and to get at least two months into the year without being compared to or confused with Peggy Chang, the only other Chinese girl in her grade.  Will Domenici has two goals: to find a paying summer internship, and to prove he has what it takes to become an editor on his school paper. Then Jocelyn’s father tells her their family restaurant may be going under, and all wishes are off. Because her dad has the marketing skills of a dumpling, it’s up to Jocelyn and her unlikely new employee, Will, to bring A-Plus Chinese Garden into the 21st century (or, at least, to Facebook).What starts off as a rocky partnership soon grows into something more. But family prejudices and the uncertain future of A-Plus threaten to keep Will and Jocelyn apart. It will take everything they have and more, to save the family restaurant and their budding romance.”
• The Colossus of Roads by Christina Uss: “Eleven-year-old Rick Rusek is determined to improve the traffic conditions in Los Angeles– his parent’s failing delivery catering service, Smotch, depends on it: Traffic is a puzzle with one correct solution. And I’ve got to solve it! Rick has been studying maps and traffic patterns for years, and devises solutions to improve Los Angeles’ notoriously terrible traffic that he calls his Snarl Solutions. He has big ideas, but not enough resources– until his artistic friend, Mila brings him to a Girl Scout meeting.”
• Unicorn Rescue Society: The Madre de Aguas of Cuba by Adam Gidwitz and Emma Otheguy: I just love this series. The adventure is fun, the mythology is interesting and diverse, and the humor is on point. Overall just such a well-rounded series.
• With Trent:
  • Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee: I loved this book when I read it years ago, and I was happy to share it with Trent!
  • Happy Fell by Erica Perl: This book is on our state list, and Trent is a huge fan of this duo. He declared when we were done that we need to get more of the series.
  • Avatar: The retelling of the show which has become one of Trent’s favorite things. We’re working to find more in the series as the library only has the first one.
  • Fly Guy: One of Trent’s favorite series.
  • Before She was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome: One of the most beautifully written and illustrated biographies I’ve ever read.
  • My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero: I love this family, their town, and this book. It looks at the importance of tradition and change.
  • Read alouds Trent and I listened to: Ghost Cat by Eve Bunting & The Night Before First Grade by Natasha Wing
  • Trent has also started reading books on his own! It blows my mind what a reader he has become! I have started keeping track of books he reads on his own, and I think I’m going to start his own Goodreads…

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

Ricki

Hi! I am taking a break this week and next because university classes are starting, and my kids are remote. It should be wild! (Don’t worry, we are still reading.)

Kellee

Currently Reading: My Life in the Fish Tank by Barbara Dee

Currently Listening: The Extraordinaries by T.J. Klune

Tuesday: Neal Shusterman’s Visit to Kellee’s School

Sunday: Author Guest Post by Alane Adams, Author of Witch Wars

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:  Build a Castle: 64 Slot-Together Cards for Creative Fun by Pail Farrell

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Four Ways to Help Reluctant Readers” by Fleur Bradley, Author of Midnight at the Barclay Hotel

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

Kellee

With this being the first week back with students, I did read every night but I didn’t finish anything because I fell asleep reading every night! At least I don’t feel like I’m in a rut anymore, I’m loving reading again!, but I just can’t stay awake!! 🙂

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

Ricki

I read a lot of great books this week!

• Our World: A First Book of Geography by Sue Lowell Gallion is cleverly constructed! It opens into a globe! I’ll be reviewing it in full tomorrow.
• Give It! by Cinders McLeod is just as great as the other books in the series. My kids love learning math with these books.
• If you haven’t checked out Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies (edited by Paris & Alim) or Race, Justice, and Activism in Literacy Education (edited by Valerie Kinloch, Tanja Burkard, and Carlotta Penn), I highly, HIGHLY recommend both of these texts. Both made me rethink my pedagogy, and I am excited to share them with teacher education students.
• Felix and the Monsters by Monica Holtsclaw looks at the walls we create and why they might need to come down (a very relevant theme these days!).
• My kids loved Butts are Everywhere by Jonathan Stutzman. They laughed quite a bit.
• I sobbed as I read Our Subway Baby by Peter Mercurio. It’s based on a true story, which made me sob harder.
• Bunheads by Misty Copeland is a lovely story and a perfect gift for lovers of dance.
• This Way, Charlie by Caron Levis is a stunning, beautifully quiet text. It was really, really fun to read aloud. It’s quite literary.
• The Seed of Compassion by the Dalai Lama teaches powerful lessons of being compassionate. It is very well done.
• I loved the illustrations and message of Alba and the Ocean Cleanup by Lara Hawthorne.
• And The Wanderer by Peter van den Ende is absolutely breathtaking. The illustrations (which are based on an epic dream) are wildly artistic. This is a book that you could read one hundred times and still find details that captivate you.

Kellee

Currently Reading: The Colossus of Roads by Christina Uss

Currently Listening to: This is my Brain in Love by I.W. Gregorio

Reading with Trent: Whatever he chooses each night

Ricki

I just started New Kid by Jerry Craft yesterday, and I am loving it. I read half last night and plan to finish it tonight!

Tuesday: Our World: A First Book of Geography by Sue Lowell Gallion, Illustrated by Lisk Feng

Thursday: Blog Tour with Reviews and Book Trailer: Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast: Short & Sweet by Josh Funk, Illustrated by Brandon Kearney

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

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: Review and Giveaway!: Clover Kitty Goes to Kittygarten by Laura Purdie Salas, Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata
**Giveaway ends tomorrow!**

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Classic Starts Favorites

Sunday: Student Voices: Digital versus Traditional School by Nitya A. and Sarah W., 7th Grade

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

Kellee

Sorry for the length of this update, but I wanted to share everything from July and this first week in August as I haven’t really updated during that time.

July:

• Trent and I really love the Questioneers series–both the picture books and the chapter books. We highly recommend them. They are well done and exactly the type of kids I want Trent to be reading about.
• We love Salina Yoon! If you haven’t read ALL of her Bear or Penguin books, Trent and I both recommend it.
• Lulu, Old Rock, and Kat were all reviewed here on Unleashing Readers–check out the reviews!
• The Panda Problem by Deborah Underwood is on our state list for K-2 and we already owned it, so a win-win. Also, it is a hilarious book. I really love when the fourth wall is broken.
• We read The Infamous Ratsos for Camp Candlewick! What a great program and book–I know we’ll be reading the rest of the series. I love the focus on what makes someone actually tough.
• Itch by Polly Farquhar: “Isaac’s sixth grade year gets off to a rough start. For one thing, a tornado tears the roof off the school cafeteria. His mother leaves on a two month business trip to China. And as always. . . . there’s the itch. It comes out of nowhere. Idiopathic, which means no one knows what causes it. It starts small, but it spreads, and soon–it’s everywhere. It’s everything. It’s why everyone calls him Itch–everyone except his best friend Sydney, the only one in all of Ohio who’s always on his side, ever since he moved here.”
• I love that Hands Up by Breanna McDaniel takes a negative connotation and gives ownership of the phrase to the Black community in a positive way.
• Alma by Juana Martinez-Neal is such an important read for all kids because it talks about the importane of names.
• Ella McKeen Kickball Queen by Beth Mills is another state list book. It is a book that kids are going to relate to because it looks at changes at school and dealing with them.
• Sing a Song by Kelly Starlings Lyon is a book I needed. And Trent needed. So I assume others will as well. I had heard of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” but I did not know much about it nor had I heard it. This book introduced me to it, showed its power, and led to Trent and I listening to it. Beautifully done book as well!
• You Loves Ewe by Cece Bell cracked Trent up and was a fun intro to homophones.
• Donald Crews is brilliant. Read everything by him.
• Trent and Henry read How to Test a Friendship together; Ricki and I plan on reviewing it later in August or in September because it is SO GOOD.
• Pusheen Cat has a new fan in Trent!
• Five Fuzzy Chicks by Diana Murray was our multi-read, read whenever we had a chance book for a while. Trent would read it to whomever would listen. He loved it–I think I am going to buy it for him (it was a library book) as a beginning of the school year surprise.

Last Week: 

• THANK YOU SONA CHARAIPOTRA AND DHONIELLE CLAYTON for breaking my reaidng rut! If you haven’t read Tiny Pretty Things or Shiny Broken Pieces and love YA dramas, get on it now. They are everything you want in drama-filled, back stabbing, redemption book!
• I cannot gush enough about Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o and illustrated by Vashti Harrison. WOW! First, the illustrations blew me away. They are perfection. I’m serious. Second, the lesson taught in the book is one that all kids need to hear–either for themselves or to make them thing about others. Third, the story does a beautiful job of entwining mythology and the contemporary story. Highly recommended.
• This last week Trent and I read books from some favorite series: Poppleton, Mr. Putter & Tabby, and Yasmin. All as good as we expected.
• We also read from two new series: King & Kayla and Bad Kitty. They are both now favorites and we’ll be finishing them both!
• The Littlest Family’s Big Day by Emily Winfield Martin has such soft, beautiful illustrations–it is worth reading just for them. But the fun story of a new neighborhood makes it double worth it.

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

Kellee

Oh man… well, I am back at work. I have NO idea what I am going to read or what I am going to read with Trent–I’ll update you next week 🙂

.

Tuesday:  Build a Castle: 64 Slot-Together Cards for Creative Fun by Pail Farrell

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein

Sunday: Author Guest Post by Fleur Bradley, Author of Midnight at the Barclay Hotel

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: Shifu Orboot Earth: AR-Powered, Interactive Globe

Sunday: Student Voices: Ten Characters I Would Love to Meet by Brooke A., 7th grade

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

Kellee

First day of preplanning for me today. Learned last week that I am going back face-to-face with students, so I have lots of work to do to make my library accessible for students and safe for all. Happy reading this week, everyone!

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

Kellee

Tiny Pretty Things definitely sucked me in! Still feeling a bit rutty when it comes to reading, but it and now its sequel are energizing my reading muscles again!

Tuesday: Review and Giveaway!: Clover Kitty Goes to Kittygarten by Laura Purdie Salas, Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Classic Starts Favorites

Sunday: Student Voices: Digital versus Traditional School by Nitya A. and Sarah W., 7th Grade

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: Paint By Sticker Kids: Dinosaurs from Workman

Thursday: Review, Discussion Guide, and Giveaway: Lulu, the One and Only by Lynnette Mawhinney, Illustrated by Jennie Poh
Giveaway open until Wednesday!

Sunday: Student Voices: Homestruck Webcomic by Morgan M. and Melanie S., 8th Grade

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

Kellee

Educator friends: Are you doing okay? So much of our livelihood is in question right now, and I wanted to check on you. My district still is bargaining and there are still a lot of questions, so I know the stress and questioning and sadness are a lot, so I wanted to just say: I see you, you’re awesome, stay safe, do what is best for you and your family, and you’re not alone.

Also, through all of this, is anyone else struggling to be in the mindset to read?My brain just isn’t able to focus for that long–I read every day, just shorter amounts. You’ll notice that I have way less novels than normal in July because of this. I know this, too, is temporary though, so again, if you are feeling this way know: I see you, you’re awesome, and you’re not alone!

Since I last posted at the end of June, here is what I have read and new books I’ve read with Trent:

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

Ricki

I’ve been writing this week, so I’ll report all of the books next week!

Kellee

• The book I hope is going to pull me out of my slump: Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton
• With Trent: Random picture books
• And not listening to anything right now since I’m not driving much.

 

Tuesday: Shifu Orboot Earth: AR-Powered, Interactive Globe

Sunday: Student Voices: Ten Characters I Would Love to Meet by Brooke A., 7th grade

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: PlayShifu’s Plugo Letters, Count, and Link

Thursday: The Baby-Sitters Club

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: Ban This Book by Alan Gratz

Sunday: Student Voices: Favorite Book Quotes by Duda V. and Angelina D., 8th grade

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

Kellee

While I take my summer break from IMWAYR, you can see what I’m reading by checking out my 2020 Goodreads Challenge page  or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

Hi! I am working hard on getting a book written, so I’m out today. I hope you all are well!

Tuesday: Paint By Sticker Kids: Dinosaurs from Workman

Thursday: Review and Giveaway: Lulu, the One and Only by Lynnette Mawhinney, Illustrated by Jennie Poh

Sunday: Student Voices: Homestruck Webcomic by Morgan M. and Melanie S., 8th Grade

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