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: Ten Books We Enjoyed That Have Under 1000 Ratings On Goodreads

Wednesday: Animal Planet Animal Atlas

Thursday: All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

Friday: Recently Loved Picture Books: The Knowing Book by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Daniel Finds a Poem by Micha Archer, Hoot and Peep by Lita Judge, & A Big Surprise for Little Card by Charise Mericle Harper

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “An Enterprising Young Reader” by Steve Hockensmith, Co-Author of Nick and Tesla’s Solar-Powered Showdown

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee

I love the summer! It is more than just having time off; I love that I can stay up super late and read! It is the time of the day that I work and read the best!

This last week, I read all of the picture books that I am reviewing this week. I also read:

The Great Pet Escape by Victoria Jamieson was so much fun! It reminds me a bit of Secret Life of Pets, but it is the secret life of school pets. And Jamieson’s illustrations are perfect for the story!

I was also able to finish my reread of The Lions of Little Rock and the activity/presentation I am working on with Ricki. I am very proud of it; I look forward to sharing it closer to NCTE 🙂

Along with Klassen’s Hat Trilogy finale, the finale of Becker’s Journey Trilogy is one that many readers have been waiting for. And you will not be disappointed! I’ll be blogging about the whole trilogy soon–I can’t wait to share with you how much I loved it!

We have a new favorite in our reading rotation: Busy Builders, Busy Week by Jean Reidy. Construction worker animals plus trucks and machinery equals a win for my two year old!

  

I also had time to fit in some really phenomenal informational nonfiction texts which we will be reviewing soon.

Finally, I read two graphic novels. First, GHOSTS by Raina Telgemeier!!! I was so excited to read Raina’s newest book. It is very different than her others; however, it is just as thoughtful and well done. I also read the second Poptropica graphic novel which continued the first adventure.

Ricki

I’ve always wanted to read Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel. It was published in 2007, yet I see it referenced all of the time. It was marketed as an adult book, but many young adults read it because most of the story takes place in childhood to young adulthood. Now I completely understand why people love it. It may just rank up there as one of my favorite graphic novels. Despite the fact that it is an older text, I am going to write a full review for it. I have so much to share!

 

Ask Me No Questions by Marina Budhos has also been on my list for quite some time. It is about two sisters who travel with their parents to Canada because they are undocumented and fear they will be deported. When they are turned away, they are shocked that their father is then arrested at the border for their expired visas. The two sisters try to pull together to get their father free. I learned a lot and appreciated the author’s note at the end.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee

I have assessment writing on Monday and Tuesday, so I am worried about having a bit less time for reading; however, I hope to fit a ton of reading into the rest of the week. I’m not sure what I am going to pick up yet–I will let you know!

Ricki 

I am still continuing with my project that requires me to become more familiar with literature that features Muslim characters. I have a stack of books in my bedroom and am not sure which one I will read next! I kind of like the thrill of scanning the stack and just picking at random!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

 

Tuesday: Ten Bookish Facts About Us

Wednesday: Please Be Nice to Sharks: Fascinating Facts about the Ocean’s Most Misunderstood Creatures by Matt Weiss

Thursday: Blog Tour, Author Guest Post, and Review!: Ah-Choo! by Lana Wayne Koehler and Gloria G. Adams

Friday:  Modern Immigrant Experience in Fiction Picture Books: Tía Isa Wants a Car by Meg Medina & A Piece of Home by Jeri Watts

Sunday: Author Guest Post!

 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
Jana E. 
for winning a copy of Ms. Bixby’s Last Day!!

Last Week’s Posts

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

   

Tuesday: Jobs for People Who Love Books

Wednesday: National Geographic’s Awesome 8

Thursday: Burning by Danielle Rollins

Friday: Whose Story Is This Anyway? by Mike Flaherty

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “When You’re Not ‘The Pretty One'” by Rose Mannering, Author of Roses: The Tales Trilogy, Book 1

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee

First, I must talk about the American Library Association Annual Conference & Exhibition. As you all may know, I am a faithful attender of the NCTE conference and ALAN workshop in November; however, I have never been to another big conference until ALA which was held this year here in Orlando from June 23rd-June 28th. Because I am not a librarian and I could only attend on the weekends, I only had the exhibitors pass as well tickets to the Coretta Scott King breakfast and the Newbery, Caldecott, and Wilder banquet. Having an exhibitor pass meant that I was able to hang around all day and just meet authors, get books, and hear about new books. I was in heaven! At NCTE, I am usually pretty busy, so I spend only a couple of hours there a day; however, at ALA, I was there for 6 or so hours each day! Here are some collages of the authors I saw:

Authors/Illustrators: Meg Medina, Matt de la Pena, Tim Federle, Ben Clanton, G. Neri, Jenni Holm, Adele Griffin, Fred Koehler, Ben Hatke, EM Kokie, Dana Simpson, Bryan Hollier, Mo Willems, Laurie Keller, Dan Santat, Augusta Scattergood, Mike Maihack, Kate Messner, Jon Klassen, Don Tate, Chris Barton,  Bill Konigsberg, Alex Gino, Kevin Henkes, Laura Dronzek, Kwame Alexander, Christian Robinson, Sean Qualls, Rita Williams-Garcia, Duncan Tonatiuh, Tom Angleberger, Cece Bell, Rafael Lopez, Jon Klassen, Raina Telgemeier, Grace Lin, Kwame Alexander, Jordan Sonnenblick, Donalyn Miller with Travis Jonker, Adam Gidwitz, Lynda Mullaly Hunt, & Ben Clanton

I also had the amazing opportunity to attend the Coretta Scott King & Virginia Hamilton Award breakfast and the Newbery, Caldecott, & Wilder Award banquet where I heard some of the most powerful speeches I’ve ever heard. Christian Robinson, Ilyasah Shabazz, Jason Reynolds, Brendan Kiely, Rita Williams-Garcia, Jerry Pinkney, Sophie Blackall, and Matt de la Pena touched my heart and soul through their beautiful words.  I cannot even start to share all the amazing quotes and speeches, but there are some different ways to see them. First, on Twitter search #csk16, #alaac16, and you will find quotes. Also, you can access some of the speeches here or here.

  

Now to what I’ve read over the last two weeks!

Probably one of the most anticipated picture book releases of the year, We Found a Hat by Jon Klassen is the finale of his Hat Trilogy and is just perfect. I am not going to spoil anything, but I really think that Hat fans will love this one just as much.

 

I love these stories of strong young ladies going after their passion no matter what! I love powerful girl books, and these both definitely fit that bill!

I read The Great Greene Heist because it was on my #mustread list; however, after finishing, I couldn’t let go of Jackson Greene and his antics, so I grabbed the sequel right away. I love Gang Greene. They are smart and thoughtful, but I am also really happy they are not my students.

Gracefully Grayson is another #mustread book, I devoured it in one sitting. I love this story of identity, truth, friendship, fear, and love. I did find it interesting that it and George both had theater as part of their story. Also, I found the adult reactions so interesting in both!

Although I find Dave Barry very funny, I think I am definitely not the demographic for this one. It was a bit over the top and far fetched. I also had trouble with some of the stereotypical descriptions and assumptions within the story. However, it is on our state list for this upcoming school year and I plan on reading all 15, so I look forward to discussing this with my students.

As soon as I got this, I just couldn’t help myself! I love Sharon Creech’s work, and this is no exception. It all revolves around a cow. An ornery, wonderful cow that helps a girl find home, a woman find closure, a boy share a passion, and a family settle down. Fans of any Creech work, though especially Love that Dog, will love her word play and imagery in this novel in verse/vignettes.

Ricki

I finished reading Jonathan Todre and Sarah Higinbotham’s Human Rights in Children’s Literature for a review for an academic journal. It is a fascinating text that integrates human rights law and children’s rights with children’s literature. It inspired me to want to do more research in the field of human rights.

I also read Maria E. Andreu’s The Secret Side of Empty. It is a book about a senior in high school who has grown up in America her whole life and has hidden the fact she is an undocumented immigrant. I learned so much about the struggles that undocumented immigrants face. It is a great read.

Ah-Choo is a cute picture book by Lana Wayne Koehler and Gloria G. Adams. It is about a boy who wants to find a pet that won’t make his sister sneeze!

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee

I have so many books to choose from!

Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier was one of my most exciting acquisitions from ALA, so I definitely am going to read it. Other than that, I am going to pull from my bag of #mustread books, ALA books, and my stat list books depending on how I am feeling.

I am also working on an NCTE presentation with Ricki, and I am using Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine as an example text, so I plan on rereading it this week and working on the presentation.

Ricki 

I am working on a new project, which involves me reading a few dozen books that feature Muslim/Islamic teenagers. I am not sure which book I will start first, but I am excited to begin!

On a side note, I am looking for recently published books (or soon to be published books) that promote themes of advocacy and activism. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to leave them in the comments section!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

 

 

Tuesday: Ten Books We Enjoyed That Have Under 1000 Ratings On Goodreads

Wednesday: Animal Planet Animal Atlas

Thursday: All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

Friday: Recently Loved Picture Books: The Knowing Book by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Daniel Finds a Poem by Micha Archer, Hoot and Peep by Lita Judge, & A Big Surprise for Little Card by Charise Mericle Harper

Sunday: Author Guest Post!

 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: Reasons to Read

Wednesday: National Geographic’s 100 Things to Know Before you Grow Up

Thursday: Grimm’s Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm, Audio Book Collection by Listening Library

Friday: Future Problem Solving International Conference Update

Sunday: Author Interview with Diane Gonzales Bertrand by Wendy Martin, Illustrator of The Story Circle

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee

I had the amazing opportunity to go to ALA this weekend! Then on Monday, I am so happy to be able to go see a preview of The BFG movie (The BFG is one of my top 10 favorite books!). I will update you all and visit with you next week. Happy reading everyone! 🙂

Ricki

This week, I finished Gae Polisner’s A Memory of Things. What a fabulous book! Someone (Beth Shaum, was it you?) wrote in her review that she liked how the book was about 9/11 without being about 9/11, and I couldn’t agree more. There are so many fantastic themes in this book, and it would be a great book to use in classrooms. I look forward to writing a full review soon!

I also finished Danielle Rollins’ Burning. I really enjoyed her first book, The Merciless, so I was excited to read this one, too. She writes fantastic thrillers that have elements of fantasy but feel very realistic. In this story, the narrator is in juvenile hall. A mysterious juvie shows up who throws the entire juvenile hall into a mysterious, creepy state. I am not extremely experienced in this genre, but the book gave me the chills!

Henry and I read The Fan Brothers’ The Night Gardener. This was a beautiful book that is wonderfully illustrated. Henry loved all of the animals, and I loved the mystical story.

This Week’s Expeditions

Ricki 

I am reading Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis. I’ve wanted to read this book for a long time, so I am happy to cross it off my bucket list! So far, I am enjoying it a lot.

I am listening to Teresa Toten’s The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B. I am really loving the characterization, but I am wondering if I am missing a lot without the illustrations. Can anyone provide their thoughts on this one? I just signed the actual book out of the library, so I may flip through to see if I missed anything.

I’ve begun reading Jonathan Todre and Sarah Higinbotham’s Human Rights in Children’s Literature for a review for an academic journal. It is focused on law, but I am interested to see how these ideas apply to education.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

 

Tuesday: Jobs for People Who Love Books

Wednesday: National Geographic’s Awesome 8

Thursday: Burning by Danielle Rollins

Friday: Whose Story Is This Anyway? by Mike Flaherty

Sunday: Author Guest Post!

 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
Stefani T.
for winning a copy of Can You Canoe? by the Okee Dokee Bros!

Last Week’s Posts

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

   

Tuesday: Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2016

Wednesday: The First Step: How One Girl Put Segregation on Trial by Susan E. Goodman

Thursday: Nibbles: The Book Monster by Emma Yarlet

Friday: Teacher Appreciation Book Tour with Review, Excerpt, Video, and Giveaway!: Ms. Bixby’s Last Day by John David Anderson
Giveaway open until Thursday!

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “A Magical Location” by Byrdie Walker Bain, Author of The Secret of Sinbad’s Cave

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee

Before I start talking about books, I wanted to talk about Orlando. Orlando is my home and has been for 16 years. What happened here over the last week+ is terrible. More than terrible; it is horrific. And too close to home. One of the young men who passed away went to my middle school my first and second year of teaching (though I didn’t know him), and another was a boyfriend of a friend’s friend. Too close to home. But please know that this does not define Orlando. The Pulse attack happening here actually shocked me because we are such a diverse place that overall is open-minded and loving. This does not represent who we are. I also want to thank any of you that prayed or sent healing thoughts or wrote a message or helped in any way. We are wounded, and everyone’s positivity after the massacre shows me that there is hope. And I want to take this time to send my love and thoughts out to anyone who was affected by any of the events that happened over those terrible five days.

This week, I primarily focused on getting through my picture book and nonfiction TBR pile! I read 12 picture books and 3 nonfiction texts, all that I will be reviewing at some point on the blog. All worth putting on your TBR.

My teacher friends and I also decided to have two book club meetings during the summer (YAY!), and we are focusing on reading the Sunshine State Young Reader Award (SSYRA) titles, so we choose to read The Neptune Project as our first summer read. It was such a unique dystopian title, and I cannot wait to read the sequel!

Ricki

I couldn’t put it better than Kellee. The Orlando attacks are horrifying, disgusting, and saddening. I have spent a lot of time emotionally thinking about this awful tragedy. I can’t quite express my feelings because I am still in such disbelief.

 

This week, I read two great National Geographic books. My son is obsessed with the NG texts because the photographs are eye-appealing and the facts are fun and interesting. As an adult, I also love reading and learning from them, too!

I finished listening to Kenneth Oppel’s This Dark Endeavor. What a neat, neat book! The second half really captured my attention, and I had difficulty leaving my car! I found myself listening to it while I played with my son on the floor. I only do this with audio books that I really, really enjoy!

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee

In addition to the summer book club choices, I am focusing on trying to read all 15 of the SSYRA list and some books from my #mustread2016 list. I started Dave Barry’s The Worst Class Trip Ever, and so far it is quite funny. I look forward to finishing it then I am  not sure what I will pull from my bag of books.

Ricki 

I have about 50 pages left of Gae Polisner’s A Memory of Things, and I am excited to share more of my thoughts about it. I want to see how it ends first. It could take so many different directions!

I was asked to review Jonathan Todre and Sarah Higinbotham’s Human Rights in Children’s Literature for an academic journal. I am very much looking forward to this text and think I will learn a lot. It discusses law, and I am interested to see how these ideas apply to education.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

   

Tuesday: Reasons to Read

Wednesday: National Geographic’s 100 Things to Know Before you Grow Up

Thursday: Grimm’s Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm, Audio Book Collection by Listening Library

Friday: Future Problem Solving International Conference Update

Sunday: Author Guest Post!

 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 Reasons We Love Being Moms to Readers

Wednesday: Candlewick Nonfiction Picture Books: Who’s Like Me? by Nicola Davies, Can We Help? by George Ancona, Belle, the Last Mule at Gee’s Bend by Calvin Alexander Ramsey & Bettye Stroud, and The Boy Who Fell Off the Mayflower by P.J. Lynch

Thursday: What Do You Do With a Problem? by Kobi Yamada

Friday: Review and Giveaway!: Can You Canoe? And Other Adventure Songs by The Okee Dokee Brothers
Giveaway open until Thursday!

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “How to Love the Language Your Students Use” By Matthew Jobin, Author of The Nethergrim series

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee

The school year is over, graduation has passed, Future Problem Solvers International Competition is done, and summer had begun–I think I can start getting back to normal over here! I want to apologize for being a bit MIA recently with visiting blogs on Mondays, Wednesdays, and throughout the week–life has just been so busy! Thank you for understanding!

Because of the craziness, I wasn’t able to read as much as I’d hoped, but I did get in First Step (review on Wednesday), Ms. Bixby’s Last Day (review on Friday), and  six graphic novels:

   

Sweaterweather by Sara Varnon was a short story comic collection which was exactly what I would have expected from Varnon. Her comics are clever and cute, and I loved her little notes at the beginning of each new story.

Varmints by Andy Hirsch was quite a wild, western adventure following two siblings, Opie the hothead and Ned the sweetheart, trying to find their Pa. There are problems around every corner, and you never know how they are going to get through the situation, but somehow they do! I know my students who like adventurous graphic novels will be a fan of this one. The story ended with a cliffhanger, so I am assuming there will be more to come!

Science Comics: Volcanoes by Jon Chad was an interesting combination of science fiction and informational nonfiction. The story takes place in the future where a new ice age has set in and a society is looking for heat. When Aurora discovers a book about volcanoes she cannot stop teaching her siblings and guide about them because she feels like they can save their civilization. It is through Aurora that we learn about volcanoes in a very detailed way. I think the author did a good job combining nonfiction and fiction, and you definitely learn a lot about volcanoes during the story.

Bera, the One-Headed Troll by Eric Orchard is a dark yet heartwarming story about a troll that wants to save a baby. Bera, who has no idea what to do, sets off on a quest to hopefully save the child. I loved how the author/illustrator built a fantastical world that was very dark but threw in Bera who has a heart of gold. You will root for her the entire book!

Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea by Ben Clanton was perfection! This is the graphic novel equivalent of Elephant and Piggie and is a ladder to Phoebe and her Unicorn. Filled with laugh-out-loud moments as well as thoughtful moments covered in friendship and cuteness, Narwhal equals such a charming graphic novel for all ages.

Hilo is the first book in a series that I know will be popular in my classroom. Funny, adventurous, and science fiction–all things my graphic novel readers love! Also, the end is a great cliff hanger which will keep readers wanting more!

Ricki

I finished my author friend’s untitled, secret fantasy that she is working on and sent her some feedback. It was really fun to read a book in its entirety with an editor’s eyes. I’ve never done this with a full book, and I had a lot of fun with it. I am hoping the work is published, and I will share news later!

Henry and I read Belle, the Last Mule at Gee’s Bend by Calvin Alexander Ramsey and Bettye Stroud. I loved learning new information about MLK Jr. and the mules of Gee’s Bend. This nonfiction was a great read!

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee

Since summer is upon us, I hope to partake in #bookaday (or in my world: read as much as I can). I brought home a pile of books from school that include books from my #mustreadin2016 list as well as the Sunshine State Young Reader list (I’m going to read all 15 this year!). I also have 7 novels (and a ton of picture and nonfiction books) to read for review this summer. I am so looking forward to jumping feet first into all of this reading!

Ricki 

I’ve always meant to read Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. This week, I saw it in the library and nabbed it. I enjoy reading graphic novels in between transcribing for my dissertation because my fingers get tired!

I reviewed Merciless last year, and Danielle Rollins saw the review and sent me her newest book, Burning. I am very excited to read it. Thrillers make my heart flutter!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

 

Tuesday: Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2016

Wednesday: The First Step: How One Girl Put Segregation on Trial by Susan E. Goodman

Thursday: Nibbles: The Book Monster by Emma Yarlet

Friday: Teacher Appreciation Book Tour with Review and Giveaway!: Ms. Bixby’s Last Day by John David Anderson

Sunday: Author Guest Post!

 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 Non-Shallow Beach Reads

Wednesday: Mastermind by National Geographic

Thursday: Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie

Friday: Kate DiCamillo: Collaborative Summer Library Program Summer Reading Champion for 2016

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “Finding the Joy in Writing” by Laurisa White Reyes, Author of The Kids’ Guide to Writing Fiction

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee

From Thursday to Sunday this week, I was at the Future Problem Solvers International Competition at Michigan State University, so I was not able to write my IMWAYR post. I’ll update you all next week 🙂

Ricki

Many of you know Emmanuel Guibert’s graphic novel Alan’s War. Guibert is a French cartoonist who tells the true story of Alan Cope, an American GI in France in WWII. How the World Was: A California Childhood depicts Alan’s earlier childhood experiences, growing up during the Great Depression in California. The graphic novel is unlike others that I’ve read, and I really enjoy Guibert’s style. The chapters read like vignettes of Cope’s childhood; some of the scenes are graphic, and many are quite moving. This text would be excellent for close reading, and I don’t think readers even need to read it in its entirety to appreciate and understand each chapter.

I finished The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart in one sitting, and I totally agree with the hype. This book is excellent! It took me awhile to get to it, and I am glad I was finally intrigued enough to pick it up. It reminds me of so many works of literature that I love, yet it was quite different. I highly recommend this one.

Henry and I also read a lot of great picture books this week. This morning, we sat in his room for two hours and read about 50 books in a row. He enjoys laying across my pregnant belly and tells me he is reading to his baby brother. It’s these moments that make me love life. I won’t list the books here because most of them are older books or rereads. We did enjoy Chupie: The Binkie That Returned Home by Thalia.

This Week’s Expeditions

Ricki 

I continued reading the unnamed book by my author friend. I am 75% done and enjoying reading it before bed. It’s a great sci fi, but she’s asked that I not reveal any information yet. She’s feeling really shaky about it. I have lots of feedback for her, so I am excited to see where it goes!

The Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel has been on my TBR list forever. I added it to my #mustreadin2016 list this year, and am happy to say I am 2 hours away (audio) from finishing it! At first, I didn’t like it, and I was so bummed, but I realize now I made a huge mistake. This book is simply fantastic! Kellee’s voice was in the back of my head. She told me it was a great read. Because we usually agree, I give it a second chance.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

 

Tuesday: Ten Reasons We Love Being Moms to Readers

Wednesday: Candlewick Press Nonfiction Picture Books

Thursday: What Do You Do With a Problem? by Kobi Yamada

Friday: Can You Canoe? And Other Adventure Songs by The Okee Dokee Brothers

Sunday: Author Guest Post!

 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 Feel Differently About After Time Has Passed

Wednesday: Boyds Mills Press Nonfiction Picture Books

Thursday: Dump Truck Duck by Megan E. Bryant

Friday: Doodle Adventures: The Search for Slimy Space Slugs! by Mike Lowery

Sunday: Aspiring Author Guest Post!: “Four Books that Challenge Gender Roles” by Ainsley Izzie

Congratulations to Casey O. for winning a copy of Bubonic Panic!

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee

 

Book clubs are over! This week I finished Undercurrents by Willo Davis Roberts, Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson, Peak by Roland Smith, and Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde. I am so proud of myself that I was able to finish seven of the nine book club books in the four weeks we did them in class! And my students all really loved book clubs! They’ve given me some good feedback, and many of them are going to be in my class with me again next year, and I cannot wait to do lit circles again with them next year.

We also finished Touching Spirit Bear in my 2nd period. I am so glad these students chose to do the whole class read aloud. I think they really connected with Cole and the novel. They actually have asked if for the rest of the school year we could listen to the sequel also. This was a class that we had a very hard time finding community; I really think this novel has helped finally build up our community.

Ricki

My family loves Brian Floca, and Five Trucks was no exception. 🙂

We’ve been reading Sandra Boynton since Henry was born, but this week, he seemed to become obsessed with the fact that they each have songs. We’ve reread all of them dozens of times this week. He can’t get enough of them.

I found Crossing by Philip Booth in the library. The illustrations are absolutely stunning.

I adored Trains Go by Steve Light. Each page features a different type of train with its matching sound effect. This is very fun to read.

I loved Doodle Adventures: The Search for Slimy Space Slugs! by Mike Lowery. I am having difficulty deciding who I will gift it to because it is so awesome. We reviewed this last week, but I didn’t have time to put it on my finished books because I read it so late!

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee

I don’t know what I am going to read! I know I have some novels that I have in the queue for review, but I feel kind of lost because I don’t have the lit circle books anymore. I did get approved for some new graphic novels on Netgalley, so I cannot wait to jump into those.

I’m almost done with Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and I would love this production! The narrators are amazing!

I also have a big pile of picture books to read including some of the F&Gs that Ricki has shared and some nonfiction picture books that I’m reviewing next week.

Ricki 

Like Kellee, I’m also almost done with Grimm’s Fairy Tales. I love it!

I am also reading an unpublished manuscript for an author. At her request, I can’t share anything about it, but it is a great work of fantasy!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

  

Tuesday: Ten Non-Shallow Beach Reads

Wednesday: Mastermind by National Geographic

Thursday: Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie

Friday: Kate DiCamillo: Collaborative Summer Library Program Summer Reading Champion for 2016

Sunday: Author Guest Post!

 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