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.

CONGRATULATIONS
Patricia M.
FOR WINNING A COPY OF TWENTY YAWNS!

Last Week’s Posts

 

  

Tuesday: Recent 5-Star Reads

Wednesday: Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick

Thursday: Bartholomew Quill: A Crow’s Quest to Know Who’s Who by Thor Hanson

Friday: Blog Tour, Author Guest Post, and Review!: The Class Crooks Club by Alison Cherry

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

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: I have had such a crazy week!!! Let’s start with my reading update: I had a great reading week! Because of the Future Problem Solvers State Competition, I was at a hotel without Jim or Trent, so even though I missed them, I got SO MUCH reading done. First, I finished listening to George by Alex Gino which was one of the two must reads I read this week. I loved how gently but truthfully George’s story was shared. Next I read The Slowest Book Ever in one sitting because it was so interesting; we’ll share our thoughts on Wednesday. Then I read my other must read book: All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. Everyone should read it! So powerful! Lastly, I read four nonfiction books: 31 Ways to Change the World from Candlewick Press, National Geographic Kids: National Parks Guide USA, Animal Planet Ocean Animals, and Animal Planet Polar Animals. I’ll review these later in the month.

Finally, I have some phenomenal news! At the Florida Future Problem Solving State Competition, my 9th grade team place FIRST in the middle division team Global Problem Solving booklets and one of my 11th graders placed third in the senior division individual Global Problem Solving booklets. The five of them qualified to go to the international competition! My other 9th grade team placed fourth only missing internationals by one place, but they’ve only been a team for two years, so that is so impressive. The first place middle team also scored second in the action plan skit. The only team that didn’t place was my 6th grade team; however, they have been a team for one year and made it to states. I am so proud of all of my students! I am so excited and proud!

Ricki: This week, I finished The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenborough. Martha is such a smart, thoughtful author, and I am pumped that she has made such a great beginning stamp in the field of YAL. I am so excited to read all of her work and know she will become a favorite author for me.

Henry and I visited four different libraries this week (and two last week). He loves playing at the library and being amongst the books.

We signed out seven of the Llama Llama books by Anna Dewdney (all of the llama books we could find at the local libraries). He has become obsessed with this series, and randomly comes up to me throughout the day and asks, “Yama yama book, mama?” He is learning a lot from the books. At the library, a boy wasn’t sharing, and Henry informed him that llama llama shares. (He doesn’t apply this sharing lesson to his own behavior, but he certainly uses it when it is in his best interest.)

We also read and enjoyed Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins. This is a great, new picture book. I’ll be sharing a full review this Thursday!

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: My life is going to be a bit crazy for a while because we have to do all of our fundraising in the next month for FPS! But this week I plan on starting The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin by Elinor Teele, and I think that I am going to begin listening to The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett.

Ricki: While at the library, I read 3/4 of The Nest by Kenneth Oppel. I am hooked! If I didn’t have to do a bunch of work today, I would hole myself in my room and finish it! I’ll report more next week because I am sure I will be done with it!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

  

 

Tuesday: Ten Bookish People You Should Follow On Twitter/Facebook

Wednesday: Blog Tour and Review!: The Slowest Book Ever by April Pulley Sayre

Thursday: Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins

Friday: #mustreadin2016 Spring Update

Sunday: Author Guest Post! by Andrea Young, Author of Finny and the Boy from Horse Mountain

 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 
BETH P. 
FOR WINNING A COPY OF MAYBE A FOX!

Last Week’s Posts

 

 

Tuesday: Books We Really Love But Don’t Talk About Enough

Wednesday: National Geographic Kids: Celebrate Easter by Deborah Heiligman

Thursday: Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway!: Twenty Yawns by Jane Smiley

Giveaway open until Wednesday!

Friday: Lousiana State University’s Line 4 Line Program: A Barbershop Literacy Program in Baton Rouge

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “The Star Wars Effect: Bringing Teens to Space” by Ava Jae, Author of Beyond the Red

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

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: Spring break did a wonderful thing for my reading! I was able to read 3 graphic novels, 3 picture books, and 3 novels this week!

The picture books I read were Steam Train, Dream Train (Sound Book) by Sherri Duskey Rinker, Bartholomew Quill by Thor Hanson, and This is Sadie by Sara O’Leary. I read Steam Train, Dream Train with Trent, and I can tell it is going to be another favorite book. He loves sound books and trains. We’ll be reviewing Bartholomew Quill this week. And I now completely understand why everyone raved about This is Sadie when it came out. It is another book that promotes reading and imagination, and it has beautiful illustrations.

Then I read Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes and its companion Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard by Jonathan Auxier. I do not know why I waited so long to read Peter Nimble, but I am so glad I finally did. Not only because it is beautiful and full of adventure but because it led me to read Sophie Quire which is going to end up being one of my favorite books of the year. The third novel I read was The Classy Crooks Club by Alison Cherry, and I cannot wait to share it with you on Friday!

Next I read my three graphic novels: Red’s Planet by Eddie Pittman, Hippopotamister by John Green, and Paths & Portals by Gene Luen Yang. All three are going to be hits. First, Red’s Planet  is the first in a middle grade about a young girl who is abducted by aliens. It is funny and interesting–it is going to popular! Next, Hippopotamister  teaches kids that experience leads to being able to succeed in live makes for a must get graphic novel for middle grade classrooms. And I love John Green’s illustrations! Everything is so detailed and crisp. Finally, Paths & Portals is the 2nd book in the Secret Coders series, and it was a great continuation of the series. There are many things I really like about this series: 1) It is smart; 2) It is written for kids who are coders or noncoders; 3) It is interactive; 4) The characters are diverse and relatable; 5) It has math in it but without making it too obvious. What I don’t like about this series: 1) THE CLIFFHANGERS!

Ricki: Please enjoy Kellee’s update above because mine isn’t very good! Henry and I enjoyed a lot of board books, but none were high-quality reads that I’d recommend. He received many new books from the Easter Bunny, so we will share those soon. He was highly impressed by Little Blue Truck’s Beep-Along Book by Alice Schertle. He loves to beep the stuffed animal as we read. 

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: This week is my state competition for Future Problem Solvers, so I have some very long days ahead of me, so I am not sure what I am going to read. I am currently listening to George by Alex Gino, so I hope to finish that this week. Readingwise, coming up for me is The Slowest Book Ever by April Pulley Sayre (for review) and All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely (for my school book club).

Ricki: Similar to last week, I regret to say I’m having difficulty managing my work load for The ALAN Review, doc school, and mommyhood. Henry was sick this week, so my husband and I have been up with him throughout the nights. I am really loving Kristen-Paige Madonia’s Invisible Fault Lines (an ARC from S&S). It is my treat before bed each night after a long day of work! I promise to share more later, and I am sorry I am falling behind!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

 

  

Tuesday: Recent 5-Star Reads

Wednesday: Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick

Thursday: Bartholomew Quill: A Crow’s Quest to Know Who’s Who by Thor Hanson

Friday: Blog Tour, Author Guest Post, and Review!: The Class Crooks Club by Alison Cherry

 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
DECLAN F.
FOR WINNING A COPY OF THE TYPEWRITER!

AND

CONGRATULATIONS
JOLIE I.
FOR WINNING A COPIES OF GOOD MORNING YOGA AND GOOD NIGHT YOGA!

Last Week’s Posts

 

Tuesday: Ten Books on our Spring To Be Read List

Wednesday: National Geographic Kids: Farm Animals and Rascally Rabbits! 

Thursday: Blog Tour, Author Guest Post, Giveaway, and Review!: Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee
Giveaway open until Wednesday!

Friday: Kiki and Jacques by Susan Ross

Sunday: “Getting Students to ‘Show, Don’t Tell’ Their Writing” by KW Penndorf, Author of Freya and the Dragon Egg

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

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: Spring break is here! So far, I haven’t done a ton of reading because Jim and I went on a date weekend at Disney, and I focused on just hanging out with my husband. Earlier in the week, I did finish two books that I loved so much!

First, I read The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling which really filled a Harry Potter void. Though it wasn’t a Harry Potter story per se, it was just the touch I needed. I also listened to Upside-Down Magic by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, and Emily Jenkins. It was funny and smart and cute and had a great theme–the perfect audiobook for the last week before spring break.

Ricki: As I promised you last week, I didn’t get any reading done this week! I finished my manuscript for the AERA conference, and I am very excited to present it! I also wrote an essay for my Human Rights and Social Justice class (my last class of my doctoral degree!). I’ve been reading some articles about the ways that feminism and social class intersect, but I haven’t read any books this week. Next week, I will read more fun stuff, I promise!

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I am currently almost done with Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier, and I am enthralled! I cannot wait to finish–I have the second book waiting in the wings. I also have Red Planet by Eddie Pittman to read this week which is a sci-fi adventure graphic novel.

Ricki: I just started Kristen-Paige Madonia’s Invisible Fault Lines, an ARC from S&S, and I love it so far!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

 

 

Tuesday: Books We Really Love But Don’t Talk About Enough

Wednesday: National Geographic Kids: Celebrate Easter

Thursday: Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway!: Twenty Yawns by Jane Smiley

Friday: LSU’s Line 4 Line Program

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “The Star Wars Effect: Bringing Teens to Space” by Ava Jae, Author of Beyond the Red

 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

 

 

Tuesday: Ten Unfortunate Character Names

Wednesday: Blog Tour, Author Guest Post, and Review!: Dig In by Cindy Jenson-Elliott

Thursday: Blog Tour, Giveaway, and Review!: Good Morning Yoga by Mariam Gates
**Giveaway open until Wednesday!**

Friday: Blog Tour, Giveaway, and Review!: The Typewriter by Bill Thomson
**Giveaway open until Thursday!**

Sunday: Author Q&A with Kathy Cyr, Author of the Max Hamby series

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

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: This week I finished a #mustreadin2016 book! The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart is such a tough story, but it is really a story about life in the end. It was the teacher book club book for my school, and I really enjoyed talking about it with my fellow teachers. I also cannot wait to review it because it just has so much to talk about.

Trent and I also spent a lot of time with some National Geographic books, some which we’ll be reviewing this week. He really loves animals, so each page we looked at colors and made animal sounds. I really love how National Geographic books are put together. They always have beautiful photos, are informative, but also entertaining.

Last week, I also got to meet Michele Knott!! And at Disney! How much fun! Michele and her family were so nice, and we had a great time watching Fantasmic and the new Star Wars fireworks.

Ricki: I know this isn’t relevant to reading, but I have to share…my son is in a toddler bed right now! I feel like he is becoming such a big boy before my eyes! Henry and I also read some National Geographic books (see the images below). We enjoyed them and loved the pictures and fun facts! I finished listening to Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith. I liked this book and had fun listening to it, but I am a bit of a prude. Anyone who has read this book will understand me when I say that I blushed over a hundred times. It is definitely a book I will recommend, and I had good fun with it. 

I also read a book called On the Line by Jack Dougherty. It details how Hartford, CT went from being the wealthiest city to the fourth poorest per capita in the country. It discusses the impacts to education and dives deeply into the ways that the regional magnet schools are designed. This book is free online, and I found it to be quite intriguing.

I am so jealous that Kellee met our blogger buddy, Michele Knott! Ahh!

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: Over the weekend, I started Tale of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling because the two boys in my class who are reading Harry Potter could not believe I hadn’t read it. After, I plan on reading Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier in preparation for reading its companion. Additionally, I’ve begun listening to audiobooks in the car again, so I began listening to Upside Down Magic by Lauren Myracle, Sarah Mlynowski, and Emily Jenkins. So far it is cute and quite entertaining! 

I’m excited because Friday starts my Spring Break, so I hope to get some good reading in during those 10 days. My plans include what I listed above as well as Classy Crooks Club, The Slowest Book Ever, Red’s Planet, and Cody and the Mystery of the Universe.

Ricki: I am just finishing up a midterm essay about human rights and social justice education. Then, I need to finish writing a manuscript for the AERA conference. They require presenters to upload a full manuscript for publication a few weeks before we present. I researched the ways a struggling reader experienced power positioning in four course contexts: her traditional English class; her remedial reading course; her Young Adult Literature course (which I taught); and her college English course, two years later. Therefore, I might not be able to read much, so I apologize!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

 

Tuesday: Ten Books on our Spring To Be Read List

Wednesday: National Geographic Kids: Farm Animals and Rascally Rabbits! 

Thursday: Blog Tour, Author Guest Post, Giveaway, and Review!: Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee

Friday: Kiki and Jacques by Susan Ross

Sunday: “Getting Students to ‘Show, Don’t Tell’ Their Writing” by KW Penndorf, Author of Freya and the Dragon Egg

 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

 

 

Tuesday: Books to Read if You Are in the Mood for a Good Laugh

Wednesday: National Geographic Early Reader Biographies: George Washington Carver and Sonia Sotomayor

Thursday: Blog Tour and Review!: Normal Norman by Tara Lazar

Friday: A Tyranny of Petticoats Blog Tour with Author Q&As by Caroline Richmond, Lindsay Smith, and Robin Talley

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “School Visits” by Iain Reading, Author of The Dragon of the Month Club

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

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: I read two very different but very good books this week. First, I read Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee. We’ll be reviewing it next week, but I want to tell you that this book is so beautiful; however, it is also one of the saddest books I’ve ever read. I recommend with tissues. Next, I read Alamo All-Stars by Nathan Hale, the 6th book in his Hazardous Tales series. Man! Nathan Hale does an amazing job bringing history to life, adding comedy to the not-funny-at-all stories, and making complicated situations understandable. This one has a soft spot in my heart because I lived in, and loved, Texas for 5 years, and it brought me back to my time there.  

In the picture book realm, I read Dig In! and The Typewriter, both which we are reviewing this week. Trent is in love with his Thomas the Tank Engine Me Reader right now, so I am listening to a lot of Thomas stories. We also read books on the Disney book app on the iPad. Both the Me Reader and the app are great because they can be read to us or we can read them.

Ricki: I also read Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee. I cried from cover to cover. It was such a powerful book that tugged my heartstrings. I recommend this book highly. I also read Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate. This important book belongs in classrooms. Applegate’s honest portrayal of poverty will connect with readers. I will be thinking about this book for a long time to come.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: This week I have one goal that I have to meet: read The Honest Truth by Gemeinhart for our teacher book club on Friday. I haven’t read it yet! And I chose it and am leading the first meeting!

Ricki: Hmm. I am struggling in the same way as Kellee. I keep saying that I am going to read All American Boys by Reynolds and Kiely, and then I pick up another book! I don’t know what is holding me back. I think I am nervous I won’t love it as much as everyone else loves it. I also have to read a book about the history of Hartford for my Human Rights class.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

 

 

Tuesday: Ten Unfortunate Character Names

Wednesday: Blog Tour, Author Guest Post, and Review!: Dig In by Cindy Jenson-Elliot

Thursday: Blog Tour, Giveaway, and Review!: Good Morning Yoga by Mariam Gates

Friday: Blog Tour, Giveaway, and Review!: The Typewriter by Bill Thomson

Sunday: Author Q&A with Kathy Cyr, Author of the Max Hamby series

 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

  

 

Tuesday: Ten Books We Enjoyed Recently that Weren’t Typical Genres/Topics We Read

Wednesday: Blog Tour, Author Guest Post, and Review!: Reproductive Rights: Who Decides?  by Vicki Oransky Wittenstein

Thursday: Learning to Labor by Paul Willis (Ricki’s reflection on the educational fallacies we promote in schools today)

Friday: Trent’s Favorite Books: 1 to 2 Years

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “Stories are Everywhere” by Wendy Terrien, Author of Rampart Guards

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

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: This week has been filled with picture books! Trent and I read, and loved!, Normal Norman by Tara Lazar and Twenty Yawns by Jane Smiley. He actually let me read him new books, and I thank the amazing illustrations and story. We’ll be sharing both of these soon. I also read the two National Geographic early reader biographies that I will be reviewing on Wednesday.

Ricki: Like, Kel, I also read Normal Norman by Tara Lazar and Twenty Yawns by Jane Smiley! I brought Normal Norman to my parents’ house to show them. They have a dog named Norman, and they loved reading it to him, too! It is a fun book with a great message. Twenty Yawns is a fantastic bedtime story that made me yawn and yawn!

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I’m currently reading Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt. I am really loving her prose–she just has a way with words. After I am done, I plan on reading The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart in preparation for my school’s first faculty book club!

Ricki: Well, this isn’t much different, either! I am also reading Maybe a Fox like Kellee! I guess we are focused on our blogging books this week! I am just about finished listening to Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith. More on that next week. 😉

Upcoming Week’s Posts

 

 

Tuesday: Books to Read if You Are in the Mood for a Good Laugh

Wednesday: National Geographic Early Reader Biographies: George Washington Carver and Sonia Sotomayor

Thursday: Blog Tour and Review!: Normal Norman by Tara Lazar

Friday: A Tyranny of Petticoats Blog Tour with Author Q&As by Caroline Richmond, Lindsay Smith, and Robin Talley

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “School Visits” by Iain Reading, Author of The Dragon of the Month Club

 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

 

 

Tuesday: Songs We Wish Were Books

Wednesday: Trashed by Derf Backderf

Thursday: The Happy Dandelion App

Friday: Precepts

Sunday: Author Guest Post! by Sue Duff, Author of Sleight of Hand

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: I’ve had a really varied reading week of three middle grade books!

First, I read Mystery of the Map by Jack Chabert which is the first book in a new graphic novel series based off of Jeff Kinney’s Poptropica game. It is going to be LOVED by middle grade students.

Next, I finished Kiki and Jacques by Susan Ross which is a story of a small town in Maine who has a group of African refugees. It is a middle grade book that is fun but also looks at some very important issues. I cannot wait to review it for you all–it needs to get into more kids’ hands.

Finally, I read Agent Darcy and Ninja Steve in Tiger Trouble by Grant Goodman which is an engaging adventure book willed with ninjas, wit, and action.

Ricki: I finished a really interesting book called Learning to Labor: How Working Class Kids Get Working Class Jobs. It was really depressing but true attack on today’s educational system and how it actually works to promote the stratification of social class levels. I am going to write a blog post/review about it this Thursday because I can’t stop thinking about how relevant it is.

Henry and I read (and loved) Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick. This book is worthy of its praise. I broke my rule about not buying books and had to splurge and get it. It is such an incredible book! We also read The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spire. I love books like this. It inspires kids to be creative and confident in their creations. We also read Waiting by Kevin Henkes. I loved how simplistic this text was, and I plan to use it to teach my son about patience.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I cannot wait to jump into my next book: Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt! I love Kathi Appelt’s work, so I am looking forward to it. I’m not sure what else I’ll read this week! I’ll let you know 🙂

Ricki: I also plan to read Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt! I am quite excited. I have been bogged down with reading for my human rights class. The readings are very good, but I am still struggling to manage school reading, pleasure reading, and motherhood. Pleasure reading is taking a slight back seat, but I am hoping things will wind down very soon.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

  

 

Tuesday: Ten Books We Enjoyed Recently that Weren’t Typical Genres/Topics We Read

Wednesday: Blog Tour, Author Guest Post, and Review!: Reproductive Rights: Who Decides?  by Vicki Oransky Wittenstein

Thursday: Learning to Labor by Paul Willis (Ricki’s reflection on the educational fallacies we promote in schools today)

Friday: Trent’s Favorite Books: 1 to 2 Years

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “Stories are Everywhere” by Wendy Terrien, Author of Rampart Guards

 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!

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