My #mustreadin2018 list is super ambitious this year including series and authors instead of just a list of titles, but so much of what I put on there are books/authors/series that I am so excited to read. As I explained when we first debuted the list:
“First, I have a few authors that I am going to try to read multiple books from because I either love their work, haven’t read anything by them, or am Skyping with them with my book club, so I just listed the author. Then, I made a list of books I really want to read either because my students love them or I just have wanted to read it for a while. Finally, I added a few copies of books that my students asked me to add to the list. All of this equaled a crazy list that I may not get through, but I love it!”
Without further adieu, here is my update!!!
I am super proud to say that as of today, I have read 12 out of 33 on my list:
Eric Gansworth “Don’t Pass Me By” from Fresh Ink 2/26/2018
I loved this anthology–it is a must get!
Alan Gratz Prisoner B-3087 2/8/2018
Alan Gratz just knows what he is doing! He really breaths life into historical fiction.
Mitali Perkins Open Mic edited by Mitali Perkins including her story “Three-Pointer” 3/17/2018
Another great anthology!
Gae Polisner The Memory of Things 1/22/2018
I now know why everyone loves Polisner’s writing so much–beautiful!
Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich “Confessions of a Black Geek” from Open Mic 3/17/2018 Two Naomis 3/27/2018
Two Naomis was a great story of dealing with change, and my book club and I cannot wait for the sequel!
Eliot Schrefer The Deadly Sister 2/11/2018 Mez’s Magic 2/25/2018
Both of these are so different than the other Screfer books I’ve read, but they are both just as good!
Laurel Snyder Swan 1/6/2018 The Longest Night 1/6/2018 Forever Garden 1/11/2018 Any Which Wall 1/13/2018 Seven Stories Up 1/14/2018 Bigger Than a Breadbox (reread) 1/15/2018 Good night, laila tov 1/16/2018 Orphan Island 1/17/2018
If you cannot tell, I really like Snyder’s stories. All kinds of them. I’m so glad I read even more of them because they just fill my heart.
The False Prince trilogy by Jennifer A. Nielsen The False Prince 3/4/2018 The Runaway King 3/13/2018 The Shadow Throne 4/3/2018
I LOVED this trilogy! I am pretty much forcing it on students now (luckily they like it!) because I need someone to talk to about all of the twists and turns. So good!
Rebels by Accident by Patricia Dunn
1/27/2018
My student said this was the first book where she saw her life reflected in a book, so I was happy to read it and talk to her about it. And it gave such great insight into my Egyptian students’ lives.
A Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket The Bad Beginning 2/14/2018
I read this because my students LOVE it, but it just wasn’t for me. Made me so cringy because everything was so unfortunate!
Stung series by Bethany Wiggins Stung 4/1/2018 Cured 4/4/2018
Such a fascinating post apocalyptic series!
Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman
1/5/2018
I CANNOT wait for number 3!!! This series is definitely a favorite!
How is your #mustreadin2018 list progress going? What book do you most look forward to?
Islandborn
Author: Junot Díaz
Illustrator: Leo Espinosa
Published: March 13, 2018 by Dial
Summary: From New York Times bestseller and Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Díaz comes a debut picture book about the magic of memory and the infinite power of the imagination.
Every kid in Lola’s school was from somewhere else. Hers was a school of faraway places.
So when Lola’s teacher asks the students to draw a picture of where their families immigrated from, all the kids are excited. Except Lola. She can’t remember The Island—she left when she was just a baby. But with the help of her family and friends, and their memories—joyous, fantastical, heartbreaking, and frightening—Lola’s imagination takes her on an extraordinary journey back to The Island. As she draws closer to the heart of her family’s story, Lola comes to understand the truth of her abuela’s words: “Just because you don’t remember a place doesn’t mean it’s not in you.”
Gloriously illustrated and lyrically written, Islandborn is a celebration of creativity, diversity, and our imagination’s boundless ability to connect us—to our families, to our past and to ourselves.
Review: This book is absolutely enchanting. I can confidently say that it will always be one of my favorite picture books of all time. When Lola asks family and friends about the island that she came from, they have wonderful memories that they share with her. The illustrations and words dance off of the page—Díaz and Espinosa, the author-illustrator team, combine to create a work that will stun readers with its beauty and complexity. I took the pages from the F&G and hung them on my office walls, and they inspire me daily.
As I read this book, I continually paused to reflect on the words (“Just because you don’t remember a place doesn’t mean it’s not in you” and “Memory is magic.”). There is so much to teach from this book, and I am really looking forward to sharing it with students. If you haven’t read this book, I recommend you get in your car and drive immediately to the bookstore.
Teacher’s Tool For Navigation: There are so many possibilities for this section for teacher. They might analyze text and word choice, focusing on figurative language. Or they could examine the emotions that Lola experiences as she tries to learn about the place that she comes from. Or they might have students research their own countries of origin and create an image that represents the magic of the country. Or they might consider a monster that exists in their country and draw it metaphorically or symbolically. This is a book that is meant to be shared and shared.
Discussion Questions: How does Lola feel when she can’t remember the country she came from? How does she learn more about it?; What do Lola’s friends and family tell her about the country she came from? What are the good and bad memories that they share? What might the bad memory represent?
Bone’s Gift
Author: Angie Smibert
Published March 20th, 2018 by Boyd’s Mill Press
Summary: Boyds Mills Press is pleased to announce the March publication of BONE’S GIFT, a supernatural historical mystery written by Angie Smibert about twelve-year-old Bone, who possesses a Gift that allows her to see the stories in everyday objects. When Bone receives a note that says her mother’s Gift killed her, Bone seeks to unravel the mysteries of her mother’s death, the schisms in her family, and the Gifts themselves.
In a southern Virginia coal-mining town in 1942, Bone Phillips has just reached the age when most members of her family discover their Gift. Bone has a Gift that disturbs her; she can sense stories when she touches an object that was important to someone. She sees both sad and happy—the death of a deer in an arrowhead, the pain of a beating in a baseball cap, and the sense of joy in a fiddle. There are also stories woven into her dead mama’s butter-yellow sweater—stories Bone yearns for and fears. When Bone receives a note that says her mama’s Gift is what killed her, Bone tries to uncover the truth. Could Bone’s Gift do the same?
This beautifully resonant coming-of-age tale about learning to trust the power of your own story is “charming” says School Library Connection, while Kirkus Reviews says, “Smibert surrounds Bone with a loving, complicated extended family….(with) language, which feels real and down-to-earth, like her characters. An intriguing blend of history and magic.”
About the Author: Angie is the author of several young adult books, including Memento Nora, The Forgetting Curve, and The Meme Plague, and numerous nonfiction books for children, as well as many short stories for both adults and teens. She lives in Roanoke, Virginia.
Review: Bone’s Gift was a special story looking at a well-known time period in a less-known setting. Normally stories in the 1940s focus primarily on the World War in Europe and the Pacific Islands, but this story focuses on a young girl who stays home when her father leaves to fight for his country. What happens to the children who have no mother and whose father leave for the war? Mostly a young girl whose family don’t all get along? And a young girl who is working very hard to figure out something important in her life while also learning truths about her mother’s life. This is that story. Bone is a character that the reader will love and will want to know what happened to her. Between Bone’s loss of her mother, her father going to WWII, Appalachian folklore & setting, and family dynamics, Bone’s Gift has so many different aspects weaving their way throughout the story, but it is all done beautifully in a way that all comes together in the resolution.
How did the author incorporate Appalachian Folklore in Bone’s story?
What theme would you say was the main theme of the story?
What incident in the book changed the trajectory of the plot?
How would a changed setting have changed the story?
Flagged Passages: “Bone Phillips floated in the cool, muddy water of the New River up to her eyeballs. The sky above was as blue as a robin’s egg, and the sun was the color of her mama’s butter-yellow sweater.
Her mother was still everywhere and nowhere Bone looked.
She let herself sink under the water and swam along the river bottom toward shore–toward Will.
In the shallows, her hand brushed against something hard and jagged on the silky river bottom. An image poured over her like cold bathwater. A young boy had hit his head on this rock. He struggled for air. The current grabbed at him–and her, pulling her along back in time. Bone snatched her hand away from the rock and came up for air with a gasp.” (p. 1)
Read This If You Love: Magical Realism, Folk lore, Historical Fiction, Mysteries
Recommended Books for Lit Circles/Book Clubs with a Focus on Disability and the Body
Each semester, I focus a section of my college course on disability and the body. I choose this topic for literature circles quite intentionally. My class is divided into thirds for most of the class texts, but for the literature circles portion of the class, we use eight texts. For me, there is so much to talk about regarding disability and the body. Limiting myself to eight texts is difficult. In fact, I am dropping one (to be determined this month) to make room for a new text that I love, Little & Lion, so you will see nine texts listed below. When I choose books, I strive for representation of different types of disabilities. Further, I try to offer texts that help students consider aspects like body image. I hope the texts below are helpful to those who are considering a focus on this topic in their classrooms.
Also, after we read the texts, we talk about the different theoretical frameworks of disability, and we watch and discuss this video:
Here are the books I ask students to choose from:
Laurie Halse Anderson’s (2009) Wintergirls
We do our literature circles next week, but last week, a student who chose this book came up to me after class to say, “Wow. I have never read a book like that.” I’ve used this at the high school level, too, and it is always sparked insightful, difficult conversations.
Brandy Colbert’s (2017) Little & Lion
I am looking forward to adding this book next semester. I think it is going to offer a lot for students to talk about.
Sharon Draper’s (2010) Out of My Mind
This is a phenomenal book that is always well-received. I’ve taught this book multiple times, and every group has loved it.
Wendelin Van Draanen’s (2011) The Running Dream
A few years ago, I was sitting next to a man who was reading this on a plane. He turned to me and said, “Have you read this book? It’s really good.” I told him, “Yes, I teach it!” 🙂
R. J. Palacio’s (2012) Wonder
I can’t get enough of Wonder. I’ll buy every picture book, companion book, etc. that they produce relative to this text. It makes me want to be a better person.
Francisco X. Stork’s (2008) Marcelo in the Real World
Magic bottle up in a book. That’s what comes to mind when I think of this stunning text.
Eric Lindstrom’s (2015) Not If I See You First
I learned so much from this book. I always love the presentations that my students come up with for this text.
Holly Goldberg Solan’s (2013) Counting by 7s
Do you remember when this book came out? The blog world exploded. Everyone was raving about it. It turns out that five years later, the same happens in my classroom.
John Corey Whaley’s (2016) Highly Illogical Behavior
I listened to this book on audio at the end of last semester, and I immediately called my bookstore to ask them if I could switch out a book they’d ordered for me. I needed this on the list!
I’ve made an intentional decision not to label the books above by disability. While I find it important to highlight disability as a topic, I also find it important not to define a book by the disability featured within the pages. Further, not all authors choose to explicitly label the disability—at times, the actual disability is nebulous to readers. During class, we talk about the dangers of “diagnosing” characters when a disability isn’t named, and we also talk about the danger of a single story. One character’s experiences with a disability is not the same as another’s experiences. Further, we talk about authority and authenticity. Who has the right to write stories? For more on this, check out this Summer’s The ALAN Review psychology-themed issue, where some incredible YA authors discuss these issues in depth.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic. I look at the world through a learner lens, so if I am getting this wrong, or my thoughts are off, please push back.
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.
*Screaming from rooftops!* If you have not read Nielsen’s Ascendance Trilogy, get to it! So much epicness and adventure and action and humor all in one series!
Stung and Cured by Bethany Wiggins were quite interesting books. I can see why those who don’t like them didn’t, but I did overall. Actually, I may have liked Cured better than Stung! If you like post-apocaplyptic, dystopians with a bit of romance, then you’ll like these!
I Love You, Michael Collins by Lauren Baratz-Logsted is so different than any of the other three books I read; however, I love when I read very different books that both are so special! I am so happy to review this title soon.
Ricki
I Am Ghandi by Brad Meltzer is an absolutely stunning graphic novel which features 25 acclaimed graphic novelists. I am really excited about this book, which will appeal to all ages. My four-year-old was mesmerized by the artwork and enjoyed learning about Ghandi’s life.
Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse by Marcy Campbell is an absolutely stunning story that allows young people to consider ideas like class, poverty, and imagination. This one is due out in August, and I suspect it will be well-loved by readers.
Run Wild by David Covell, set to be published this June, reminds us that it is so good to be alive. The words in this book dance off of the pages. It made me want to open my doors and race out into the world.
I REREAD Graceling by Kristin Cashore for my Adolescents’ Literature course. We had some fantastic discussions about the fantasy genre, and this book was great fun to talk about.
This Week’s Expeditions
Kellee
I was so excited to start the 4th Upside Down Magic book, Dragon Overnight, when I finished Shadow Throne, and it is totally living up to its expectations! I love the characters in this series and all of the truly realistic themes that are touched upon in this fantasy series.
League of Lasers is the 2nd book in the Star Scouts series by Mike Lawrence, and I am so excited to read it. I also got some other :01 graphic novels from Netgalley that I hope to read; I’ll share which ones next week if I get to them!
Trent and I are still reading Date with Disaster, and I love that he loved DC Superhero girls!
Ricki
My son and I started Sci-Fu by Yehudi Mercado. He’s loving it, and he doesn’t realize that I am editing out a lot of the words. It’s not written for a four-year-old, and he thinks any book with pictures is written with him as the audience. I’m enjoying it!
Upcoming Week’s Posts
Tuesday: Teaching Tuesday: Disability and the Body, Literature Circles/Book Clubs
Wednesday: Blog Tour with Review and Giveaway: Bone’s Gift by Angie Smibert
Thursday: Islandborn by Junot Díaz
Friday: Kellee’s #mustreadin2018 Spring Update
Sunday: Author Guest Post from Carolyn O’Doherty, Author of Rewind
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!
Secondhand Heroes: Brothers Unite [July 5th, 2016] In the Trenches [February 7th, 2017] The Last Battle [April 10th, 2018]
Author: Justin LaRocca Hansen
Published by Dial Books
Brothers Unite Summary: Perfect for fans of Amulet, Sidekicks, and Zita the Spacegirl, this graphic novel series debut introduces Stretch and Brella, a pair of ordinary brothers whose extraordinary yard sale discovery turns them into superheroes.
Tuck and Hudson are just two average suburban brothers—until their mother buys them a scarf and an umbrella at a yard sale. Quickly, the brothers realize that these ordinary-looking objects are full of magic, and that, with the help of their squirrel sidekick, they can use that magic to fight evil. As the boys move from fighting their neighborhood nemesis to facing bigger foes, they become Stretch and Brella, the unstoppable brother superhero duo. Soon, Stretch and Brella find themselves in another realm, where they take on enormous dragons and an evil knight in an incredible graphic novel adventure.
In the Trenches Summary: [Mild Brothers Unite SPOILERS!] Two ordinary objects turned a pair of brothers into superheroes. Now they must fight the evil Trench right in their own neighborhood.
When Tuck and Hudson return from their first adventure as the superheroes Stretch and Brella, they’re still reeling from the shock of their newfound powers. But there’s no time to slow down. Trench, a supervillain whose powers came from the very same garage sale where Tuck and Hudson found their magic scarves and umbrella, lives around the corner—and he’s out to get the brother superhero duo. With help from their squirrel companion, Steen, and another newly minted superhero, a neighborhood girl named Elvira, the brothers keep fighting the good fight, with plenty of action and adventure along the way.
The Last Battle Summary: [Mild Brothers Unite & In the TrenchesSPOILERS!]Two ordinary objects turned a pair of brothers into superheroes. Now they’re banding together with their neighbors to take down the evil Trench once and for all in the final volume of this graphic novel trilogy.
Tuck and Hudson have figured out how to wield the superpowers they got when their mom bought them an ordinary-looking pair of scarves and an umbrella at a yard sale. But Trench, their supervillain archnemesis, is only getting more powerful. Slowly, the brothers have discovered the others in their town who have superpowered objects from that same yard sale. Now Tuck and Hudson, along with their friend Elvira and their squirrel sidekick, Steen, are leading a band of heroes in the fight against Trench. This final volume of the graphic novel adventure series features the heroes’ last stand, with plenty of twists and turns along the way.
About the Author: [From http://www.justinlaroccahansen.com/] I grew up in the tiny town of Millis Massachusetts but spent most summers in a tinier village called Cataumet in Cape Cod and it is there I feel most at home. Comic books, cartoons and toys captivated me as a child and I would constantly create my own characters and stories. I went to college at Ringling College of Art and Design where I got a BFA in Illustration. Shortly after I moved to New York City to try and “make it” as an illustrator. It was a long journey with plenty of odd jobs (including a birthday party host and paper airplane teacher), lots of rejections (we’re talkin’ LOTS), and all the ups and downs that come with chasing a dream. I finally sold my first picture book Monster Hunter in 2012 to Sky Pony Press. The next few years would be consumed by a graphic novel trilogy that had been kicking around in my head for some time called Secondhand Heroes. The first book of that trilogy, Secondhand Heroes: Brothers Unite was published by Dial Books for Young Readers, an Imprint of Penguin Random House, in 2016. Part two, Secondhand Heroes: In the Trenches came out in 2017 and last summer I finished work on part three, Secondhand Heroes: The Last Battle which will be out on April 10th, 2018. I live in Brooklyn with my most amazing wife and my collection of Springsteen records.
Kellee’s Review: One of my students named Lucas is a huge graphic novel fan, and earlier this school year, he introduced a new series to me: Secondhand Heroes. He had read the first books in the series and wanted BADLY for me to read them and could not wait for the third book in the series. Well he does not need to wait any longer! This is a crazy series! I’ll be honest, in the first book, a twist in the plot happens, and the reader is not sure why, but I promise: TRUST THE AUTHOR! It epically comes together throughout the series. This series is definitely a perfect reading ladder up from younger middle grade series like Zita and Amulet. The bit of romance and realistic violence pushes its age range further into teens which, as a middle school reading teacher, I am always looking for! I also am in love with the artwork. It is different than other series because of its softer undertones and touches which makes it so unique.
Ricki’s Review: I am so glad that I read this series and have it to recommend to students. While it is definitely above his age range, my son really enjoyed this series. Each night, we read it together, and he imagined that the brothers were him and his younger brother. It’s quite a clever series—the main characters, two brothers, get items from a second-hand shop that prove to be magical. They turn into superheroes. At first, they question whether they should use the superpowers, but they quickly realize how they can use these superpowers for good. I particularly like how the boys slowly discover others in their town who have also gained superpowers. It was fun to read all of the different powers that characters had. The illustrations are eye-catching and engaging. The books in this series were ones that I looked forward to reading each night with my son. I’d put it more at the upper elementary/middle school level and agree with Kellee that these books books make a wonderful ladder for middle schoolers. I’ll be recommending these books often.
Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Graphic novels are such an important format to have available for students in school and classroom libraries.
“While many teachers are beginning to include [graphic novels] in their classrooms, there are still teachers, administrators, and librarians who struggle with including this format in their schools. So, why should you use them in your classroom and have available for students?
• Graphic novels can make a difficult subject interesting and relatable. (Cohen)
• Students are visual learners, and today’s students have a much wider visual vocabulary than students in the past. (Karp)
• Graphic novels can help foster complex reading skills by building a bridge from what students know to what they still have to learn. (NCTE)|
• Graphic novels can help with scaffolding when trying to teach higher-order thinking skills or other complex ideas.
• For students who struggle to visualize while they read, graphic novels provide visuals that show what good readers do. (NCTE)
• Many graphic novels rely on symbol, allusion, satire, parody, irony, and characters/plot and can be used to teach these, and other, literary devices. (Miller; NCTE)
• Often, in between panels (called the gutter), the reader must make inferences to understand how the events in one panel lead to the
events in the next. (McCloud)
• Graphic novels can make differentiating easier. (Miller)
• Graphic novels can help ELL (English Language Learners) and reluctant and struggling readers since they divide the text into manageable chunks, use images (which help students understand unknown vocabulary), and are far less daunting than prose. (Haines)
• Graphic novels do not reduce the vocabulary demand; instead, they provide picture support, quick and appealing story lines, and less text, which allow the reader to understand the vocabulary more easily. (Haines)
• Research shows that comic books are linguistically appropriate reading material, bearing no negative impact on school achievement or language acquisition. (Krashen)
• Students love them.
In the first book, why did the author change settings?
How did the boys’ behavior in this new setting affect the end of the series?
How did the superpowers bring the brothers together?
How did Brella’s interest in Isabella cause him to struggle with being a superhero?
How did Trench use Brella and Stretch’s “weaknesses” as a good person filled with love to manipulate them?
How did Trench set up Brella and Stretch?
How would you compare/contrast the boys’ character traits from the first book to the last book?
Flagged Passages: [From Brothers Unite]
(p. 24)“1. *whup* 2. HUH…HUH…HUH. 3. THIS IS MY HOME. TUCKER WAS RIGHT. THIS. IS. 4. AWESOME!” (p. 26)(p. 50-51)“2. VERY WELL. 5. Brella: TUCK! Stretch: FLY! I GOT IT! (p. 74)”
Read This If You Love: Amulet series by Kazu Kibuishi, Zita the Spacegirl series by Ben Hatke, Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel, Sidekicks by Dan Santat, 5 Worlds series by Mark Siegel, Cleopatra in Space series by Mike Maihack, HiLo series by Judd Winick, West series & Battling Boy series by Paul Pope, Chronicles of Claudette by Jorge Aguirre
Recommended For:
and
**Thank you so much to Justin for providing copies for review and goodies for Kellee’s students!**
You’re My Little Cuddle Bug Author: Nicola Edwards; Illustrator: Natalie Marshall
Published February 1, 2017 by Silver Dolphin Books
Summary: Celebrate your little cuddle bug with this sweet and colorful rhyming board book!
Celebrate your little cuddle bug with this sweet and colorful rhyming board book! With chunky pages for little hands and die-cut cuddle bugs to add depth and interest, children will love the interactive features alongside the story.
My Review:The bright bugs pop on the page in a way that emanates warmth. This book reminds me of the popular classics like Time for Bed by Mem Fox. It’s fun for parents/guardians to read to their children, and the sweetness of the story and illustrations pop off of the page. The book is set up with cutouts and raised illustrations. On the first page, there is a baby bug, and when the reader turns the cut-out page, the baby bug is joined by a cuddling parent. It’s quite a charming little board book that made me smile.
Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: The book’s audience seems to be children and families, but I think it would also make a sweet read-aloud at a daycare or preschool before naptime. Children might draw their own cuddle bugs and write a verse from a parent or guardian to a child.
Discussion Questions: Which is your favorite bug? Why? How is this bug different from all of the other bugs in the book?; How do the bugs cuddle differently?
We Flagged: “So when the night is beetle black, and daytime’s at an end, we’ll snuggle up, two cuddle bugs, and sleep my little friend.”
students get to explore Bone’s family and fill out their own family tree. (PDF) 
