IMWAYR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme started by Sheila at Book Journeys and now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 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!

Kellee and Jen, of Teach Mentor Texts, 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

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

Tuesday: Books We Can’t Believe We’ve Read

Thursday: Guest Review!: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee

 

• I am so glad that I finally picked up a Gae Polisner book! The Memory of Things is such a special book. It is so much more than just a time machine back to one of the worst days in our history, it is a look at the human spirit.
• I am officially done with the published Whatever After books! I love them still; I think Abby and Jonah are such fun kids and their adventures teach such great lessons amidst crazy plots.
• Rebels by Accident by Patricia Dunn was recommended to me by a student of mine that is in my class for the second year. She begged and begged for me to read it so she could talk to me about it, and I am so glad I finally did. She is from Egypt, and I can definitely see why this book is special for her. She really only had one concern about the book’s representation of her country; other than that, she (and I!) loved it though we were left wanting more of Miriam’s story.

 

• For this season, Jim, Trent, and I have season tickets to the Orlando Philharmonic’s Storytime Symphony which is every couple of months. This last storytime presentation focused on jazz music, and we were read the story The Jazz Fly by Matthew Gollub, and we were so lucky to have the author there to read to us. We enjoyed it so much that we bought a copy to listen to in our car.
• The first Storytime Symphony of the season, in December, was Paddington, so after we listened to The Jazz Fly, I found some Paddington audiobooks through our library to listen to.
• In the car on the way to school, we have continued listening to an audiobook every morning. The new ones we’ve listened to recently are Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo by John Lithgow and King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood. The first was a new to me book as well, and it is pretty funny, with a great rhyme & rhythm, and loved the inclusion of a variety of animals. King Bidgood is a book that we read often when I was a kid; however, we had a different audiobook than the one that came with our copy. I wish I could find one that was the same because I can still hear it in my head. This new audiobook adds extra things to the story which, in my opinion, it doesn’t need.

 Ricki

I’ve been working on coding data this week. Because I’ve been staying up until 2/3 am each night, I haven’t been able to read as much. I am excited to check out your blogs and see what you all are reading!

I REREAD Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz for the fifth time. Gosh, I love that book so much. I am looking forward to teaching it tomorrow afternoon. If history repeats itself, it will surely be a great class. 🙂

The boys and I read A Color of His His Own by Leo Lionni. I enjoy his books. They are fun to read and colorful. He reminds me a bit of Eric Carle.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee

• After the Whatever After series, I made quite a drastic change, and I am now listening to Prisoner B-3087. Alan Gratz just is so talented at tying story and history; however, I will tell you that I have to emotionally be ready to listen to it.
• Ink by Alice Broadway is such a unique concept, and I cannot wait to share more with you when I finish it.

Ricki

A third of my class is reading Whale Talk next week, and I am excited to be facilitating their group conversation! I will definitely be reading it to prepare!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

Tuesday: Books That Have Been on our TBR List the Longest

Wednesday: History’s Mysteries by Kitson Jazynka

Friday: SuperPowers!: A Great Big Collection of Awesome Activities, Quirky Questions, and Wonderful Ways to See Just How Super You Already Are by M.H. Clark

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “Art in Stories” by Nancy K. Lodge, Author of Mona Lisa’s Ghost (Lucy Nightingale #2)

 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!

  and

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme started by Sheila at Book Journeys and now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 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!

Kellee and Jen, of Teach Mentor Texts, 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

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

 

Tuesday: Books We Liked A Lot But Cannot Remember Much About

Wednesday: Ellie, Engineer by Jackson Pearce

Thursday: Guest Review!: There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

Friday: Pandamonia by Chris Owens

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee

I apologize for missing another Monday, but for personal reasons, I am taking this week off.

Ricki

You get me this week! Henry and I have been busy reading the Animal Crackers graphic novels. He likes to read graphic novels lately, and I enjoy reading them, too!

We read the Circus Mayhem book tonight. It’s great!

I am so excited to be teaching History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera tomorrow. I’ve divided my class into thirds (I have two great interns), and we each are reading a text that features the theme of grief. This book is simply phenomenal for discussing this theme, and I am really looking forward to hearing what my students think about it!

This Week’s Expeditions

Ricki

I’m almost done with We Are Okay and The 57 Bus. I am loving them both!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

Tuesday: Books We Can’t Believe We’ve Read

Thursday: Guest Review!: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

 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!

  and

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme started by Sheila at Book Journeys and now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 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!

Kellee and Jen, of Teach Mentor Texts, 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.

CONGRATULATIONS

Jeff S. 

for winning a copy of Don’t Forget Dexter!

Last Week’s Posts

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

Tuesday: Twenty 2018 Books We Look Forward to Reading

Wednesday: Love by Matt de la Peña

Thursday: Guest Review: That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E.K. Johnston

Friday: What Do You Do With a Chance? by Kobi Yamada

Sunday: Author Guest Post by Shana Hollowell, Author of Little Mouse’s Sweet Treat

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee

Why do short weeks at work always feel the longest and most hectic?!?!

 

I am so glad that my book club chose, and Laurel agreed, to Skype (Google Hangout, actually…) with Laurel Snyder because I was able to read a bunch of her amazing books!

I loved every single one of them, and I adored that my middle schoolers made sure I got her picture books to read with them too. I know many of you have read Bigger Than a Breadbox, but did you know Seven Stories Up is a companion about Rebeca’s mother?! And Orphan Island is quite special! I can definitely see why it is on many Mock Newbery lists.

Almost done with what is out in the Whatever After series 🙁 This one, a twist on “Hansel and Gretel” had a bit of a twist in it–super fun!

Two new favorite reads entered into our lives this week: Penguins Don’t Wear Sweaters! by Marikka Tamura and Hi, Jack! by Mac Barnett & Greg Pizzoli. Trent has made me read Hi, Jack! over and over since I introduced him to it. And I love Penguins because it is adorable but also teaches about the dangers of environmental issues for animals.

Trent and I have also found two more ways to get reading into his life. First, my friend, Cristen, was kind enough to gift us read along books with CDs, so now we listen in the car on the way to school in the morning or any other time we have alone time in my car. We also have found Read Along Movies through Hoopla and my public library. This week we watched the Goodnight Moon movie (which also had a sign language interpreter!) and the by mouse & frog movie.

 Ricki

It’s been a busy week for me! The first week of classes started, and I’ve spent some good time planning and prepping syllabi and meeting with my interns. I redesigned my Adolescents’ Literature class, and I’m really excited to see how it goes this semester.

Henry is really into this graphic novel. We read a little bit each night. I think I’ll be hunting for the others in the series as this is book #4. Bird & Squirrel on Fire features two characters (Bird and Squirrel) who are best buds. They have a run-in with some rats and some fire in their adventure. My favorite character was a more minor character named Red. She’s lovely.

I REREAD The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. This is my fifth or sixth time reading it, and I genuinely enjoy it more with each reading. I am excited to discuss it with my class this week. 🙂

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee

As many of you recommended, one of the first books I picked up from my #mustreadin2018 list is a Gae Polisner novel: The Memory of Things. And it is beautiful. I am halfway through it, and I cannot wait to read more. I also am about to start the last Whatever After book that is out right now. Number 11 comes out in April, 2018. Until then, I am going to listen to the Fablehaven series per Twitter recommendations.

Ricki

Because I have 40 students enrolled in my Adolescents’ Literature class, my interns and I are splitting the class into thirds every few weeks to have more intimate book decisions. I am in charge of Adam Silvera’s History Is All You Left Me. I will be discussing it with Creative Writing majors, and I am really excited to hear their thoughts.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

 

Tuesday: Books We Liked A Lot But Cannot Remember Much About

Wednesday: Ellie, Engineer by Jackson Pearce

Thursday: Guest Review!: There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

Friday: Pandamonia by Chris Owens

 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!

  and

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme started by Sheila at Book Journeys and now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 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!

Kellee and Jen, of Teach Mentor Texts, 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

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

 

Tuesday: Kellee’s Favorite Reads of 2017: Picture Books and Early Readers

Wednesday: Kellee’s Favorite Reads of 2017: Middle Grade and Young Adult

Thursday: Review and Giveaway!: Don’t Forget Dexter by Lindsay Ward
**Giveaway open until Wednesday!**

Friday: Ricki’s Top Ten (*ahem* Thirteen) Favorite Reads of 2017

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee

I’m back!!! Can’t wait to see what you all have been reading 🙂 Here’s my updates for the weeks I’ve been gone:

Week of 12/18

This was still a slow week, but Trent and I loved reading Star Wars OBI-123, and Ellie from Ellie Engineer is now one of my favorite mighty girls in an early reader!

Week of 12/25

This is the week that my rut started to end! Yay! It just takes a couple of good books and some time.

Rhyme Schemer and They Both Die at the End were so good! K.A. Holt and Adam Silvera have both not disappointed me yet. These are both must reads if you haven’t read them yet! For real.

Week of 1/1

This is the week that my reading was rocking! It was so wonderful! I always don’t mind going back to school, but I also really wish that I had had one more week of awesome reading before going back to the regular.

You’re going to notice a trend for a couple of weeks: Laurel Snyder. My book club is Skyping with her on Friday, 1/19! Although I loved both of her books, I do want to shout out to Swan because it was just SO beautiful.

American Street by Ibi Zoboi was recommended to me by Ricki, and I am so glad. It was available at my library through Kindle, and I started it right away. And it is perfection.

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman is just as perfect as the first in the series. It is 500 pages, but I read it in one day because I couldn’t stop! And now I have to wait forever for the third in the trilogy. Seriously, if you haven’t started this series… make. it. happen.

Lastly, I read Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas, and she once again blew me away with her ability to craft a mystery. Her stories always blow me away.

Week of 1/8

Chugging along with the Whatever After series, and I think this one was my favorite yet!

Two Laurel Snyder books this week: The Forever Garden, a sweet story reminding us that it isn’t always about the end goal but about the journey itself. I also really liked Any Which Wall which was a fantastical adventure with a wide age range of main characters (5-12) which makes it a great read for a variety of kids.

Trent’s go-to read this week were Six Brave Explorers, a pop-up book that belonged to my sister, and Baby Monkey, Private Eye by Brian Selznick and David Serlin which is pretty much the perfect book for Trent’s age. Check out the Scholastic page on it for a HILARIOUS book trailer also. https://www.scholastic.com/kids/book/baby-monkey-private-eye-by-brian-selznick/

I also had the honor of reading the manuscript for the sequel to The Dark Intercept by Julia Keller, Dark Mind Rising. I can’t say too much, but I will say that the craziness continues!

 Ricki

So happy to have you back, Kellee! Missed you last week! 🙂

For my younger son’s holiday wish list, we asked for noise books. He loves pushing the buttons. Between all of our family members (some very special aunts, uncles, and grandparents), he made out like a bandit. My husband and I have read each book a few hundred times since the holidays. Our favorites are:

We pretty much like any book that roars because it causes our son to let out his own huge roar.

On a more personal note, I am catching up on some of the YA books that I missed last year. I am determined to finish my #mustreadin2018 list this year. 🙂

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee

I already started the next Whatever After book, and I also hope to finish Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder before the Skype visit.

Ricki

I am reading four books right now, and I enjoy switching between them, depending on my mood. Blankets by Craig Thompson (an adult GN) and We Are Okay by Nina LaCour are currently the two books that I am reading the most each night.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

Tuesday: Twenty 2018 Books We Look Forward to Reading

Wednesday: Love by Matt de la Peña

Thursday: Guest Review: That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E.K. Johnston

Friday: What Do You Do With a Chance? by Kobi Yamada

Sunday: Author Guest Post by Shana Hollowell, Author of Little Mouse’s Sweet Treat

 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!

  and

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme started by Sheila at Book Journeys and now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 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!

Kellee and Jen, of Teach Mentor Texts, 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

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

Tuesday: Ricki and Kellee’s #MustReadin2018 Lists

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee

Happy New Year! I know I said I’d be back this week, but I forgot that Jim’s marathon weekend coincided with my Winter Break this year, so I am taking off one more week. (And the 8th is my first day back after break, so I have a feeling I am going to be exhausted!!) I will see you all next week 🙂

 Ricki

Happy New Year! This year, I am determined to read more books. Last year was a bit crazy with my move to Colorado, and I read fewer books than I’ve read in the last decade. I am ready to get back in the grove.

We had a wonderful visit with family and friends back in Connecticut and Massachusetts. I’ll admit that I didn’t read a lot of YAL, but I did read a massive number of new picture books. We were able to hit up the library. 🙂 Below, I detail the books we really enjoyed.

The Wolf, The Duck, and The Mouse is another winning title by Mac Barnett. I am continually blown away by his work. He and Jon Klassen are a magical pairing. Blue vs. Yellow by Tom Sullivan is a great book to teach colors. It makes for a very fun read-aloud. Love, Triangle by Marcie Colleen is a very adorable story, and it teaches a great lesson. It’s very common for a new friend to come between two best friends, and I think this story will feel relevant to many children. I loved the almost wordless La La La by Kate DiCamillo. The illustrations were marvelous. Red & Lulu by Matt Tavares. Oh my goodness. I love, love, love reading this book aloud. Every time my son and I read it, we desperately turn the pages as we hope that Red will find Lulu. My son still insists that they need to put the Rockefeller tree back after it goes up, and he argues with the book every time we finish. Flashlight Night by Matt Forrest Esenwine is a very fun book. A friend called me to tell me that it was her son’s new favorite book, so I was excited to read it. It’s quite clever.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee

I am finally out of my slump! I cannot wait to share with you next week everything I’ve read!

Ricki

I am really enjoying We Are Okay by Nina LaCour. It’s very sad, so I am reading it in small segments.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

 

Tuesday: Kellee’s Favorite Reads of 2017: Picture Books and Early Readers

Wednesday: Kellee’s Favorite Reads of 2017: Middle Grade and Young Adult

Thursday: Review and Giveaway!: Don’t Forget Dexter by Lindsay Ward

Friday: Ricki’s Top Ten (*ahem* Thirteen) Favorite Reads of 2017

 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!

  and

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme started by Sheila at Book Journeys and now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 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!

Kellee and Jen, of Teach Mentor Texts, 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

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

Thursday: #MustReadin2017 Final Update

Have a safe and wonderful New Year’s Day! Enjoy whatever more time you have off (we will!), and we’ll see you next Monday 🙂

Upcoming Week’s Posts

Tuesday: Ricki’s and Kellee’s #MustReadin2018 Lists

 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!

  and

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme started by Sheila at Book Journeys and now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 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!

Kellee and Jen, of Teach Mentor Texts, 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

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

   

Tuesday: Ten Books We Hope Santa Brings to our Boys

Wednesday: Review and Author Interview!: If Picasso Painted a Snowman by Amy & Greg Newbold

Thursday: Windows by Julia Denos

Friday: Children of Exile and Children of Refuge by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Merry Christmas to all that celebrate!

Enjoy your time off with your families and friends and books 🙂

Merry Everything and a Happy Always to all! 

Upcoming Week’s Posts

Thursday: #MustReadin2017 Final Update

 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!

  and