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
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!

  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: Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Literary Couples

Wednesday: I Want to Be a… books by Ruby Brown

Thursday: Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom

Friday: Talking about Last Stop on Market Street in a Middle School Classroom

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “All About Imps” by Henry Herz, Author of When You Give an Imp a Penny

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

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: This week was so wonderful! My sister, mom, brother, and brother-in-law all visited, I took off Thursday and Friday to spend time with them, we spent Thursday at Disney, and Trent’s party on Saturday was a success! It is nice to have today off, but it is back to the grind tomorrow. AND I even had time to read!

I finished two graphic novels: Lost in NYC by Nadja Spiegelman and Comic Squad #2: Lunch! edited by Jennifer L. Holm and Jarrett J. Krosoczka. I really liked Lost in NYC and how the book was a narrative but also informational about NYC, architecture, history, and the subway. Lunch! was a fun short graphic anthology, but I was mostly excited about Nathan Hale’s WWII story! It was so interesting, funny, and smart–just like his graphic novels. I also finally read the Caldecott winning Finding Winnie, and I loved that it was written by the great-granddaughter of Capt. Colebourn, the serviceman that owned Winnie originally.  It seemed almost primary source-like because of this connection. I also read Reproductive Rights: Who Decides? by Vicki O. Wittenstein which we’ll review next week. It was SO full of information. Finally, my sister and I read Oh My a Fly! by Jan Pieńkowski, which is a book from our childhood, with Trent! He is finally able to read pop-up books and is loving them!

Ricki: Henry and I read Snatchabook by Helen Docherty tonight for the first time since he was very young, so he understands it now. When we got to the scene where the books were being stolen, he started crying hysterically and saying, “No take the books!” over and over. We finally got to the ending, and he was still gasping for air, and he demanded that I read it two more times. I cut him off after this because I felt like I was emotionally traumatizing my child over and over! I had to stop him in the middle of the second and third reading, and say, “Henry, are the books going to come back?” He said, “Ya,” between his tears. Ha ha.  

I also read Education for Extinction: American Indians and the Boarding School Experience, 1875-1928 by David Wallace Adams. This is a comprehensive book about Indian boarding schools, and I highly recommend it. It is incredibly eye-opening and many aspects are applicable to schools today. 

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I am currently in the middle of Kiki and Jacques, and I am enjoying it. I think it introduces middle grade readers to an important part of history while also being relatable. After that, I plan on reading The Honest Truth which is on my #mustreadin2016 list and is our first book in my school’s faculty book club!!! I also have a couple early reader biographies and picture books to read and review.

Ricki: I am hoping to read All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely tonight. I have so much work to get done for my class that I am worried I won’t finish it in time for my book club!

Upcoming 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

 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: Top Historical Settings We Love

Wednesday: Kid Athletes: by David Stabler

Thursday: More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

Friday: Unleash Your (and your students’) Inner Reader

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “Cross Curricular Integration of Climate Change Education Using Middle Grade Fiction” by Michael J. Bowler, Author of Warrior Kids

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

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: Although I didn’t get to anything I said I was going to, I had a pretty fantastic week of reading. I got to read Booked! Oh man, everyone–it is a pretty great follow up to The Crossover. Kwame Alexander once again tackles sports and family issues in a perfectly-crafted, smart verse novel. A must read! I also read Seeing Red by Kathryn Erskine this week with one of my students. Her mom was a bit concerned about some of the content, so the student asked me to read it with her. It was so good! I can see why it would be good for an 11-year-old to have someone to talk to about the book because it deals with racism, sexism, abuse, and death, but it was such a great read and would be a perfect book to read alongside Lions of Little Rock.

I also read Last Stop on Market Street, Red, and The Day the Crayons Quit with my classes during our theme unit. Reading these picture books with my students was really inspirational. So much so that I plan on writing two blog posts about it to share the lessons and my students’ thoughts.

With Trent, we’ve been reading Thomas the Tank Engine books from a Me Reader set. The Me Reader allows Trent to choose the book he wants then he can press a certain button, and it will read the page to him. He still wants me sitting with him, but he loves being in control of the story. Trent is also loving Friends by Eric Carle still and has been asking for Goodnight Moon more than usual.

Ricki: Henry and I read The Typewriter by Bill Thomson—a fun, new wordless picture book about three kids who find a typewriter. Because he’s been sick (double ear infection!), we have been rereading all of his favorites each night (Racecar Alphabet by Brian Floca, Cat vs. Dog by Chris Gall, among some older classics like Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom).

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I have Poptropica: Mystery of the Map by Jack Chabert that I plan on reading this week. It is based off of Jeff Kinney’s concept and is a new graphic novel adventure series. I’m looking forward to it! This week is also going to be a bit crazy (wonderful crazy!) because my mom, sister, and brother-in-law are all coming into town for Trent’s birthday party! He doesn’t turn 2 until the 20th, but we’re celebrating on the 13th. Whenever family comes into town, my reading really takes a hit, so we’ll have to see how much I get read.

Ricki: I am reading Education for Extinction: American Indians and the Boarding School Experience, 1875-1928 by David Wallace Adams. Sorry I am boring—but it is a really informative book! I am also hoping to get to All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. I am not sure if I’ll have time, though!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

 

Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Literary Couples

Wednesday: I Want to Be a… books by Ruby Brown

Thursday: Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom

Friday: Talking about Last Stop on Market Street in a Middle School Classroom

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “All About Imps” by Henry Herz, Author of When You Give an Imp a Penny

 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