IMWAYR

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

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. 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!

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee 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 Characters Who Are Fellow Book Nerds

Tuesday: Special Announcement!: Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future by A.S. King Wins the 2015 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award

Friday: Preview of August’s #rwworkshop chat on 8/5 at 9PM ET

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

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: My parents are visiting!!! This is a huge plus except when it comes to reading. Just like vacation, family visiting equals reading being pushed to the side. However, I was able to finish a novel and a graphic novel as well as a picture book. Cold War on Maplewood Street by Gayle Rosengren is a great historical fiction novel that is more than just a history lesson. I look forward to reviewing it on Tuesday. I also finished George O’Connor’s newest “Olympians” book, Apollo: The Brilliant One. It is set up a bit differently than the others in the series, but I think it worked for Apollo’s stories. This book doesn’t publish until January, so I don’t want to give too much away. I also read Tim Federle’s new picture book Tommy Can’t Stop! If you remember, I loved Federle’s Nate books, so when I saw this at the book store, I knew I needed to sit down and read it right then. Boy, am I glad I did. What a fun book about finding the right creative outlet for kids (and the need for creative outlets for all).

Ricki: This week, I read a variety of books. I finished a PD text called Researching Lived Experience by Max Van Manen. It was theoretical, but I found it to be interesting. I learned about Jean-Jacques Rousseau, an 18th century philosopher–considered to be one of the first philosophers who looked at and truly considered the child. His book was transformative in education and parenting. It, for example, inspired women to stop using wet nurses and to nurse themselves. Yet, ironically and sadly, he put all five of his children in orphanages (and all died of ill treatment in the orphanages). I am still pondering this, days after I closed the book.

I also read and enjoyed Cold War on Maplewood Street by Gayle Rosengren. I love historical fiction, and this is one of the few books I’ve read about the Cuban Missile Crisis, so I found it to be very compelling. Henry and I enjoyed the picture book, Henri’s Scissors by Jeanette Winter. I love books about artists, so I enjoyed this one.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I have already started The Rise of Aurora West by Paul Pope, and I plan on reading the sequel after. So far I am really liking the premise. Then I’m going to continue my graphic novel reading with The Nameless City by Erin Faith Hicks. After that, I plan on reading one of the books by the authors on my NCTE humor panel: Pickle: The (Formerly) Anonymous Prank Club of Fountain Point Middle School by Kim Baker, Hook’s Revenge by Heidi Schulz, or The Tiara on the Terrace by Kristen Kittscher. I also want to tackle some more of my #mustreadin2015. However, the summer is getting so short!!! I hope I can squeeze in some great reading during this last couple of weeks.

Ricki: Next week, I just might keep my promise and finish Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman. I’m struggling. I also plan to read Children Growing Up with War by Jenny Matthews.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

 

 

Wednesday: Windsnap Wednesday! Blog Tour, Giveaway, and Author Interview: Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler

Thursday and Friday: 25 Girls Who Stand Out (in Middle Grade and Young Adult Literature)

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “How Settings Help Shape Characters’ Character” by Anne Boles Levy, Author of The Temple of Doubt

 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 hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. 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!

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee 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 (+ Two) Books That Celebrate LGBTQ Characters

Tuesday: Special Announcement! 2015 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Finalists

Thursday: Civil Rights Text Set/Reading Ladder

Friday: Kellee’s Recently Read Picture Books: Penguin Young Reader Group

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

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: I was reminded of something this week: when I am reading to learn, I read much slower than for pleasure (I’m feeling for you Ricki!) even though I love it just as much. I read Dr. Frank Serafini’s newest book Reading Workshop 2.0 which is about adding digital tools to the reading workshop. I enjoyed, devoured, and tried to suck in every word. I will be reviewing it on Friday. I read the book in preparation for the August Twitter #rwworkshop chat which will feature Dr. Serafini–I am so excited! We would love if you read the book and joined us (or even join us if you haven’t read the book!).

I read two really great, but different, graphic novels. First, Sunny Side Up by Jenni and Matthew Holm. I read it for myself, but also in prep for one of my NCTE presentations. I plan on doing a post on all of my books for that presentation in November, so I look forward to sharing it with you; however, I will say it is a must read. I also read Teen Boat! The Race for Boatlantis by Dave Roman. It is the second book in the Teen Boat series. My students, and I, loved the first book, and this one is just as good as the first! I loved the new adventures of TB! (Thank you NetGalley!)

With Trent, I read four board books this week: The Pigeon Loves Things That Go! by Mo Willems, Where is Elmo’s Blanket? by Nancy Stevenson, Baby Animals: In the Wild by Kingfisher, and Skinnyjon Jones: Up and Down by Judy Schachner. Trent is really loving anything about trains/cars/trucks, animals, or Elmo, so these books were right up his alley!

Ricki: My dissertation proposal is due at the end of August, so I’ve been reading a lot of theory. I just finished Ideas by Edmund Husserl and Phenomenological Research Methods by Clark Moustakas. So that took a good chunk of my week. Henry and I read Your Alien by Tammi Sauer. It is a cute picture book about a boy who discovers an alien. After a few days together, the alien gets a bit homesick. I promise I am going to get more interesting soon.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I, like Ricki, plan on reading Cold War on Maplewood Street by Gayle Rosengren in preps for our book birthday post! I do have some more graphic novels from Netgalley to read as well as Baba Yaga’s Assistant by Marika McCoola and Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. I think after Cold War it is going to be a graphic novel week!

Ricki: I fell behind on my plans. I do plan to finish Cold War on Maplewood Street by Gayle Rosengren this week. I’m sorry I am being a boring blogger. I promise I will become more exciting once this dissertation stuff gets a bit lighter. 🙁

Upcoming Week’s Posts

 

Tuesday: Ten Characters Who Are Fellow Book Nerds

 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 hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. 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!

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee 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: Last Ten Books We Bought For Our Boys

Thursday: A variety of alternatives to the traditional classroom discussion

Sunday: “Reaching Reluctant Readers with Action and Suspense” by Jake Bible, Author of Phantom Limbs!, Scarescapes Book 1

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

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: This week I read Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley in preparation for my Twitter book chat on Thursday (#MirandusChat). I am excited to talk about this book. Ricki and I are both reviewing the book on the 30th, so I’ll share my thoughts then. I also read Trashed  by Derf Backderf which is a fictionalized account of being a garbageman filled with information about the state of trash in the world. Although very different than My Friend Dahmer, Derf still finds truth in situations that others do not.

In addition to these novels, I read four fiction picture books (see Upcoming Week’s Posts), I am Lucille Ball by Brad Metzer (I’ll be reviewing it in a couple of weeks), and four new-to-us board books from the library with Trent. His favorite that we read was How Fast Can You Go? by Kate Riggs and Millie Goes for a Drive by Peter Curry because they both have things he knows and can point out: cat, dog, bird, bubbles, train, car, plane, etc. He also was gifted a book about fire engines by D.K. Publishing which has four wheels on it, so he can push it around–win, win! It’s a toy and a book. He is enthralled! I love seeing him so excited. And as always, we are still reading our old favorites, but it is nice to have new books that he is also enjoying.

Ricki: This week, I’ve read about thirty journal articles, so I fell behind on my pleasure reading. I’ve been working on my dissertation proposal, which is quite time-consuming. I’ve also read half of Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee. I know it’s controversial, but I fall on the side that I have to trust the independent investigators and their work and not assume an elderly person is senile. I do understand both sides of the argument and fully respect the opinions of those who elect not to read it. I had to think long and hard about my choice, and I admit it may not be the right one! 

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I am so excited to read Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm this week! I am so looking forward to it! Although I would read it no matter what, I am also reading it in preparation for my NCTE presentation with Jenni (and 4 other amazing female authors: Kristen Kittscher, Kim Baker, Caroline Carlson, and Heidi Schultz) on how humor is for everyone. I am also going to finish Reading Workshop 2.0 by Frank Serafini in preparation for my August #rwworkshop book chat on the text.

Ricki: I will finish Lee’s book and hope to finish two textbooks I am reading. I also hope to finish Cold War on Maple Street by Gayle Rosengren. So far, I am really enjoying it.

Upcoming Week’s Posts

  

Tuesday: Ten (+ Two) Books That Celebrate LGBTQ Characters

Thursday: Civil Rights Text Set/Reading Ladder

Friday: Kellee’s Recently Read Picture Books: Penguin Young Reader Group

 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 hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. 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!

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee 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 Dystopian Books We’ve Ever Read

Wednesday: Big Book Summer Challenge: Revolution by Deborah Wiles & East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Be Careful or You Might Learn Something…” by Linda Fausnet, Author of The Joyville Sweat Sox

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

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: After my horrible reading week 2 weeks ago, I made sure that I read this week. I think what I have found that works the best for me is having books to read on my phone. I always have my phone on me, and I can read it the dark. Two very big pluses in my new mom world. So, this week I ended up reading five graphic novels and four board books. Phew! My brain feels much better!

The four board books are ones that Trent picked out while we were at the library story time (I will say that although I love my job, I love taking Trent to the library every Friday! Wish I could do it all year.), and so far they are all a hit which means I may need to buy them: Llama Llama Hippity Hop by Anna Dewdney, Planes Go by Steve Light, Countasaurus by Megan Bryant, and Chicka Chicka ABC by Bill Martin, Jr.

The graphic novels I read were:

• Phoebe and her Unicorn and Unicorn on a Roll by Dana Simpson: I love Phoebe and her unicorn. Let me count the ways!
  1) Phoebe is a smart, strong, unique little girl. She doesn’t allow bullies to make her rethink who she is, and she is just so quirky.
  2) Heavenly Nostrils is the epitome of unicorn perfection. She is beautiful, knows she is beautiful, and will tell you she is beautiful. She cracks me up.
  3) I love this pair! This reminds me of a Calvin/Hobbes, Mal/Chad, Salem Hyde/Whammy relationship. They are just so perfect for each other.
  4) I want Phoebe and Big Nate to meet. I think they’d be awesome friends.
  5) Dana Simpson does what I heard Frank Cammuso talk about that he does with his Salem Hyde books: Each page is a part of a whole story, but is also a comic strip within itself. Each page has a punch line or a theme. Love this! Makes reading so much fun.

  I loved book #2 so much that as soon as I finished, I went and got #1 from my library. You will not regret picking up this GN 🙂 Also, this would be a great graphic novel to pair with Uni the Unicorn by Amy Krouse Rosenthal that I read a couple of weeks ago.

• Fable Comics edited by Chris Duffy: I really enjoy Duffy’s anthologies. I love reading these compilations because I learn about new graphic novelists/comics, see their style, and all while reading stories. Also, what a fun and accessible way to share fables (and fairy tales in the first anthology). I love seeing the different artists’ work and seeing a new version of old stories.
  P.S. My favorite were O’Connor’s!
• The Misadventures of Salem Hyde #3: Cookie Catastrophe by Frank Cammuso: While working on a presentation for ABRAMS, I realized I’d never read the 3rd Salem Hyde book (I am not sure how this one slipped through my fingers), so I picked it up this week. Like always, Salem is a firecracker who always has everything work out in the end. Big Foot was definitely the star of this one though.
• Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash: This was such a lovely look at first love and sexual identity. I am definitely going to review this one on a Wednesday.

Ricki: This week, I read all of the recent manuscripts submitted to The ALAN Review. I have also been reading a lot of methodology books for my phenomenological study. Henry *allowed* me to break out a new book I found in our collection. It is called Zoom! Zoom! Sounds of Things That Go in the City by Robert Burleigh. I loved the illustrations and Henry loved shouting, “Car!” as he pointed to the vehicles, but I found the rhyme to be a bit clunky. Because it features cars, I suspect we will be reading it night after night. His current favorite book is Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker. I’m sure you know it, but do you know it by heart? My husband does.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: In preparation for our July 23rd Twitter book club meeting (#MirandusChat), I am reading Circus Mirandus. I just started, but I already love the language. I’ve also received some amazing picture books recently that I cannot wait to read. Also, Trent will definitely be reading some more of the board books that we picked up from the library. Can’t wait to see which ones he gravitates towards.

Ricki: I am very excited to join Kellee on that Circus Mirandus chat. I’ve read the book, and as I said last week, it is phenomenal! I will be reading Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee this week. I’m a bit nervous, and I still have mixed feelings about reading it. It seems that all of the research is showing that she really did want this book released, but I am not sure if I should trust this—given senility. What do you think about it?

Upcoming Week’s Posts

  

Tuesday: Last Ten Books We Bought For Our Boys

Thursday: Stop by for a variety of alternatives to the traditional classroom discussion

Sunday: “Reaching Reluctant Readers with Action and Suspense” by Jake Bible, Author of Phantom Limbs!, Scarescapes Book 1

 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 hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. 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!

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee 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 Books We’ve Read So Far In 2015

Wednesday: Kellee and Ricki’s #MustReadin2015 Summer Update

Friday: From Kellee’s (Huge) Library Pile Part Seven

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

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: This is not going to be a very exciting update folks. We’re going through some really rough sleeping stuff over here with Trent, so I have been going to bed much earlier knowing that I will be woken up over and over again all night (if you are friends with me on Facebook, I am sure you’ve seen the updates!). I have read hardly anything at all this week! Stinks because I really love summer for all the reading time!! Here’s hoping this week is better!

Ricki: This week, I finished the wonderful, fantastic Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley. What a treat! Last week, I compared it to another favorite, A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd. I enjoyed every second of that book. Usually, I give my books away after I read them, but I am hanging onto this one. It is going to be an epic bedtime read for my son when he is a bit older. I also read Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine. This is a heart-wrenching picture book about Henry “Box” Brown, who escaped slavery in the Underground Railroad.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: Who knows! I may switch to something shorter just to feel successful. I also am listening to a book, but have not been driving much, so I may find a shorter audiobook to feel successful there too. I’ll let you know how it goes next week!

Ricki: I am continuing to truck along with my philosophy book from the early 1900s. I’d like to tackle more books on my #mustreadin2015 list, but I am also intrigued by the new book, The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes. This is why I get behind on my must read list!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

 
 

Tuesday: Top Ten Dystopian Books We’ve Ever Read

Wednesday: Big Book Summer Challenge: Revolution by Deborah Wiles & East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Be Careful or You Might Learn Something…” by Linda Fausnet, Author of The Joyville Sweat Sox

 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 hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. 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!

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee 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,

Betsy

for winning a copy of The Vanishing Island by Barry Wolverton

Last Week’s Posts

 

Tuesday: Happy 5th Anniversary to the Top Ten Tuesday Meme!: Our Top Ten Tuesday Topics

Wednesday: Two Year Blogiversary!!!!: Ricki and Kellee Check-In

Thursday: Ricki’s Favorite Pairings of YA Books with Classics

Friday: Top Checked Out Books by Kellee’s Middle School Readers

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

 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: This week has been filled with reading! I apologize for the long update, but I want to share them all!

I finished three special novels.

• Promise of Shadows by Justina Ireland: An action-packed, mythology-based YA novel that keeps you on your toes. What an adventure!
• Diamond Boy by Michael Williams: I loved Williams’s Now is the Time for Running, so I was so happy to see that he had written a companion and that it explained one of the interesting secondary characters from Running. I was blown away by the characterization within this book. Although the plot is what propelled the story, the characters in this book are what made it. I also love the thinking that this book would cause. This book is at the same time easy to connect with, but also so completely different than anything most of the readers will have experienced. Quite unique.
• And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard: An award-winning book that deals with some really tough subjects. I love the mix of Emily Dickson as our protagonist, Emily Beam, deals with two very tough, life changing incidences.

I also read a ton of picture books. I was thinking of only sharing the ones I enjoyed the most, but I loved them all!

• Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry: Although the text is super cute, teaches a great lesson, and has some very quirky, puny moments; however, it is the illustrations that really push it past other cute picture books. Very much worth a read.
• Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall: I. Loved. This. Book. I wanted to hug our crayon. I think this book could start some really smart conversations and actually would be a really good companion to books like Fish in a Tree because it looks at how the expectations of others doesn’t always fit in what a person can do and will do.
  This is a special book.
• Uni the Unicorn by Amy Krouse Rosenthal: I am a sucker when it comes to books about imagining. I love the twist that this is from a unicorns point of view and that there is a girl out there just for her. I also really adored the Disney-esque illustrations–would make a great movie!
• Stormy Night by Salina Yoon: Living in Florida means that we have pretty bad storms about 4-6 months of the year. I love how Yoon had the little bear become the “strong one” during the storm to help him forget about what he is afraid of. Like always, Yoon’s illustrations are just so wonderful–I love how they completely cover the page and are so colorful.
• The Hueys in None the Number: A Counting Adventure by Oliver Jeffers: Leave it to Oliver Jeffers to make a counting book unique, funny, and just a little bit weird. Trent and I both really liked this one–I see it being in our reading rotation.
• Daddy, Papa, and Me by Leslea Newman: The perfect book to read on the day of the SCOTUS decision! I love how Newman introduces LBGT families in such a nonchalant way (because they are just a family!!!!).
• Happy Hippo, Angry Duck by Sandra Boynton: We love Sandra Boynton, but this one is definitely for kids a bit older than Trent. We will revisit when he is older. Trent did love yelling QUACK whenever he saw the angry duck.
• Peek-a-Who? by Nina Laden: Trent loves Peek-a-Zoo, so it is no surprise that he liked this one too. They are fun books that hide an illustration then it is revealed when you turn the page.

Between Thursday and Friday, I will be reviewing five more that I read this week as well!

Ricki: My head has been in so many books this week! I finished four excellent picture books. Little Tree by Loren Long is most certainly going to be popular. Long is the author of the Otis series. I loved the quiet nature of this timeless book. In honor of the SCOTUS decision, I read Heather Has Two Mommies by Lesléa Newman. Candlewick has a new version of this classic, and I loved the illustrations! I also read Space Boy and His Dog by Dian Curtis Regan. This would be a great book to kick off excitement about a unit on space, and most schools teach this topic! The last book I read was a English/Spanish translation: Sofi and the Magic, Musical Mural/Sofi y el Magico Mural Musical by Raquel M. Ortiz. This is a great book to highlight the Spanish language, art, and imagination.

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: Tonight, I just started Lies We Tell Ourselves which I plan on finishing by Tuesday. After that, I am going to grab something from my #mustreadin2015 list or my Summer TBR list.

Ricki: I am just about finished with Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley. I am obsessed with this book. It reminds me of how I felt after reading A Snicker of Magic. I am reading Circus Mirandus as I do my fitbit steps, and it seems to inspire me to walk juuust a bit farther each night. 😉  For grad school, I am reading Ideas by Edmund Husserl. It is a philosophical text that was written in 1917 and translated in 1931. As you can imagine, it is riveting. But it is actually quite interesting to read this founding thinker’s ideas (Ha! do you see what I did there?).

Upcoming Week’s Posts

 

Tuesday: Top Ten Books We’ve Read So Far In 2015

Friday: From Kellee’s (Huge) Library Pile Part Seven

 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 hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. 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!

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee 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, 

Jill the OWL

for winning a copy of The Disappearance of Emily H. by Barrie Summy

CONGRATULATIONS,

Dawn G. 

for winning a copy of My Dog is the Best by Laurie Ann Thompson

Last Week’s Posts

   

Tuesday: Top Ten Books On My TBR For Summer 2015

Friday: Blog Tour with Review, Author Guest Post, and Giveaway!: The Vanishing Island by Barry Wolverton
Giveaway open until Thursday!

Sunday: Author Guest Post!: “The Joy of Sharing Literature in A Classroom” by Miriam Spitzer Franklin, Author of Extraordinary

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 Last Week’s Journeys

Kellee: I had a pretty good reading week. My son was sick for 3 days, so it really hindered a lot of my normal reading time; however, I was still able to finish three novels. First, I finished Revolution. It is brilliant. I will say the length is a bit daunting, but the way that Wiles crafts those 500 pages  is amazing. I also finished a mythology-based, action-packed YA novel called Promise of Shadows by Justina Ireland. Very cool novel that is full of adventure! Finally, I finished listening to X by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon, and I now can understand all of the love it is getting. Quite a interesting, thought-provoking look at Malcolm X’s younger life.

In addition to these and reading Sandra Boynton with Trent, I did introduce him to Down by the Bay by Raffi. I love that this song that I listened to when I was a kid has a board book! It was so much fun to sing it to him.

Ricki: This week, I finished Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan. Oh, how I loved this book. The characterization and voice are incredible. This book was one of the (slightly) older publications on my #mustreadin2015 list. I shouldn’t have missed it when it first came out in 2013! I highly recommend it to anyone else who hasn’t read it. 

This Week’s Expeditions

Kellee: I just started reading Diamond Boy by Michael Williams which is novel set in the diamond fields of Southern Africa by the author of Now is the Time of Running (which I loved). After it, I plan on getting to Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley and And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard.

I am going to take a break from audiobooks to listen to the newest episodes of the podcast Undisclosed, but when I start listening to audiobooks again, I plan on picking one of the Audiobook Sync books.

Ricki: I am trapped in dissertation reading. I am reading Ideas by Husserl, and I have fallen asleep each time I’ve picked it up. It was written in 1917 and translated in 1931. I like philosophy, but it is quite dense!

Upcoming Week’s Posts

 

Tuesday: Happy 5th Anniversary to the Top Ten Tuesday Meme!: Our Top Ten Tuesday Topics

Wednesday: Two Year Blogiversary: Ricki and Kellee Check-In

Thursday: Ricki’s Favorite Pairings of YA Books with Classics

Friday: Top Checked Out Books by Kellee’s Middle School Struggling Readers

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

As part of our two year blogiversary celebration, we wanted to expand our resources here on Unleashing Readers! In our Navigating Literary Elements section of our page, we share books we feel can be used as mentor texts/exemplar texts when teaching different literary elements. In addition to updating the original Setting, Characterization, and Language pages, we have now added Voice and Conflict pages! Please check them out, and we hope you find them useful!

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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