June 2022 – Unleashing Readers

Pigeon & Cat by Edward Hemingway

June 30, 2022 by Kellee

Pigeon & Cat
Author & Illustrator: Edward Hemingway
Published June 21st, 2022 from Christy Ottaviano Books

Summary: Pigeon and Cat form a lasting bond in this poignant picture book about compassion and friendship.

In an abandoned city lot, Cat lives alone in a cardboard box. He leaves only to find food. One day, Cat discovers an unbroken egg too beautiful to eat. Soon, out pecks Pigeon, and they become fast friends. Cat is happy to share his box with Pigeon. But when Pigeon flies far away from where they live, Cat must brave the city in order to rescue his friend. This journey will forever transform his understanding of home.

This heartwarming story explores unlikely friendships, the creative spark within us, and how to give comfort and kindness in small, impactful gestures. It is also a celebration of urban community.

About the Author: Edward Hemingway is the acclaimed creator of many popular books: Tough Cookie: A Christmas Story, Field Guide to the Grumpasaurus, and Bad Apple: A Tale of Friendship. His writing and artwork have been published in the New York Times and GQ Magazine, among others. The youngest grandson of Ernest Hemingway, he lives in Bozeman, Montana. He invites you to visit him at edwardhemingway.com, on Twitter @EdwardHemingway, and Instagram: @edwardhemingway.

Review: This book is special both in message and in art.

First, I loved that the book not only showed that one act of kindness can change a lot and that a friendship can change people, but it also showed that there are people out there that it is worth not giving up hope on. Cat, at the beginning, is hard to like and it seems he would be okay with that. Then he saves Pigeon and changes. Although, it is HIS act of kindness that changes the trajectory of the story, it is Pigeon that helps him see that that kindness isn’t a fluke; that Cat can be more than he’s been.

Second, Hemingway’s art is just so beautifully done. It is hard for me to explain, but just looking at the style of his painting, I find myself being sucked into the story. It is just a fantastic addition to the story and brings it all to life in a way that is so perfect. I can definitely see Hemingway’s love in the art (see below for what he said about the art).

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Edward Hemingway created a video sharing his inspiration behind the book (https://vimeo.com/626765984) which would be a wonderful start of a discussion about kindness and friendship and how it can change someone’s life and even the world. Students could also write their own stories with an act of kindness changing a character just like Cat changed.

Also, I received the book with an amazing letter from the author which is a call for action. I want to share it with you because it has so much to talk about as well as a perfect After Reading activity in the classroom:

Dear Reader,

I am very proud to be sending you my latest work, Pigeon & Cat. This book is so special to me. At its heart it is a story about kindness and compassion, and also about the gifts that art provides.

I hand painted all the artwork for the book during the height of the pandemic, so I was either isolating in my studio or at home with my fiancé. In a way, the book became one of my friends, and I looked forward to seeing it and working on it every day. I’m so happy to be sharing it with you now, and I hope that reading it touches you in some small way.

Pigeon & Cat begins with one small act of kindness. When Cat finds Pigeon’s abandoned egg on the ground, he cares for it instead of eating it. I firmly believe that such small acts of kindness can shine a bright light in dark times and open the pathway to a more positive future.

In the spirit of envisioning such a future, I have a small favor to ask of you. Pigeon opens Cat’s eyes to the beauty in the world around him, and when Pigeon goes missing, Cat creates beautiful messages in chalk that dot the city streets, walls, and avenues in an effort to reach his friend. He leaves these messages for all to see… Won’t you leave some beautiful messages on a wall or street or chalk board for your friends and community just like Cat? It would be wonderful to see the beautiful things you create.

If you post your creations, please tag me so I can see what you do!
🤗🙂❤️🌈
Sincerely yours,
Eddie Hemingway

Discussion Questions:

What did Pigeon do to change how Cat viewed the world?
How did this change Cat’s character traits?
Why was Cat the way he was at the beginning?
Cat thought he was happy in the beginning of the book. Do you think he was happier at the beginning or end?
What types of messages did Cat draw around the city for Pigeon to find?
How does the transformation of Cat’s shelter represent Cat’s change as a character?
Why do you think the creator had illustrations change from full color to black silhouetted sometimes?
What kindness messages would you put around your community for others?
What was something during the pandemic that you did to help keep yourself preoccupied?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Love: Mr. Fuzzbuster Knows He’s the Favorite by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Edward Hemingway; Negative Cat by Sophie Blackall; Inside Cat by Brendan Wenzel; A Cat is Better by Linda Joy Singleton; All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Blue Slip Media for providing a copy for review!!**

Review and Giveaway!: Pink Is Not a Color by Lindsay Ward

June 28, 2022June 28, 2022 by Ricki

Pink Is Not A Color
Author and Illustrator: Lindsay Ward
Published: July 1, 2022 by Two Lions

Goodreads Summary: Pink finds happiness right where she always knew it was in this colorful companion to the popular picture book This Book Is Gray.

Pink loves her rosy world, from her pink toy dinosaur to her pet flamingo, Phil. But when she sees the Primaries and Secondaries getting ready for the Rainbow Extravaganza, she begins to wonder why she isn’t in the rainbow…and if that means she’s not really a color. Then she meets the Tints, and she’s even more confused. Luckily, a friend shows her the many ways she spreads joy—reminding Pink that she is truly one of a kind, rainbow or not.

Featuring the world of colors introduced in This Book Is Gray—and a few new color concepts—this is a tale about appreciating who you are and realizing that only you can decide what makes you happy.

“Ward’s cast of colors, pink-cheeked and wearing accessories, speak in color-coded speech bubbles; appropriately, pink hues dominate the exuberant art. A rosy take on selfhood.” ―Kirkus Reviews

Lindsay Ward is the creator of the Dexter T. Rexter series as well as Between the Lines, Scooper and Dumper, Rosie: Stronger than Steel, This Book Is Gray, Brobarians, Rosco vs. the Baby, and The Importance of Being 3. Her book Please Bring Balloons was also made into a play. Lindsay lives with her family in Peninsula, Ohio with her husband, three boys, one dog, and eight ducks. When she’s not drawing, Lindsay loves to bake. Pink-frosted cupcakes are her favorite. Learn more about her online at www.lindsaymward.com.

Twitter: @lindsaymward
Instagram: lindsaymward

Check out activities and more here on Lindsay Ward’s website!

Ricki’s Review: Lindsay Ward is simply an incredible author/illustrator. She takes a concept that is deceivingly simple (the color pink) and connects it with readers through big themes of not fitting in. I have read this book to my son (whose favorite color is pink) so many times, and each time, we are able to have a discussion about his personal connections to the text. When I dropped him off to his new classroom, we talked about Pink and how she might feel in that moment, and how she was very brave. This is one of those books that will appeal to readers of all ages because it captures a complex concept (colors versus tints) that will teach readers something new, and it has so much heart that will ring loudly for all readers. I recommend it highly! (Side note: Her Dexter T. Rexter series is one of my favorites. Her books are just so fun to read aloud!)

Kellee’s Review: I want to start with the backmatter of this book. I love how it shows the research process behind Lindsay’s book and how one piece of information led to more research which led to Pink is Not a Color. It seems so much like a passion project which makes me love how that could show students the power of research and the creative process. And the research is so interesting! The science behind colors is so much more than most realize, and I love this introduction. I’d love to pair this book with Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky to look at the history AND the science of color. Pink is NOT a Color will also pair with This Book is Gray which shows how Lindsay Ward is making a canon of color books that are so much fun to read and even more fun to learn from.

Readers will love Pink’s personality and will definitely connect with her as she figures out her place in the world through the help of some friends, some discovery, and some reflection.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This is one of those books that makes us really, really want to work with younger children. And yet, it is great for all ages! We would love to read this book in tandem with other identity stories like This Book is Gray by Lindsay Ward and Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall. Each offers an important message about ourselves but does so through color.

Discussion Questions:

How does the author convey the message implicitly and explicitly?
Is Pink happy? Where does Pink find happiness?
Have you ever felt like you didn’t fit in? What did you do?

Flagged Spreads:

Giveaway!:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read This If You Loved: This Book is Gray by Lindsay Ward, Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall, Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

Recommended For:

and

**Thank you to Barbara at Blue Slip Media for providing copies for review!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 6/27/22

June 27, 2022June 27, 2022 by Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
Sharing Picture Books, Early Readers, Middle Grade Books, and Young Adult Books for All Ages!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop co-hosted by Unleashing Readers and Teach Mentor Texts which focuses on sharing books marketed for children and young adults. It offers opportunities to share and recommend books with each other.

The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

We encourage you to write your own post sharing what you’re reading, link up below, leave a comment, and support other IMWAYR bloggers by visiting and commenting on at least three of the other linked blogs.

Happy reading!

Tuesday: Odd Birds: Meet Nature’s Weirdest Flock by Laura Gehl, Illustrated by Gareth Lucas

Thursday: Hope Wins: A Collection of Inspiring Stories for Young Readers edited by Rose Brock

Saturday: Guest Post: Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora

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

Kellee

As always, you can see what I am reading by checking out my 2022 Goodreads Challenge page or my read bookshelf on Goodreads. I’ll be back next week for a long update 🙂

Ricki

I was absolutely blown away by this book. It is an absolutely gut-wrenching story, and it parallels the stories that many children in our country would tell. In this story, ICE comes to take 16-year-old Mateo and 7-year-old Sophie’s mom and dad. They’ve lived in the country for decades, and they are put in a detention center. If you haven’t read this book, I recommend it highly. Every time I put the book down, I couldn’t stop thinking about Mateo and Sophie.

In this Frankenstein-inspired YA graphic novel, M is for Monster by Talia Dutton, a scientist tries to bring her sister back to life. What she brings back looks like her sister but is an entirely different person inside. As a side note, I liked how this book (similar to the book above) had LGBTQ+ characters but didn’t primarily focus on the fact that the characters were LGBTQ+.

My youngest son picked out Glad, Glad Bear! by Kimberly Gee from the library. In this picture book, it’s Bear’s first dance class, and he is so nervous! He puts on his leggings and tutu but feels shy. When the music starts, he remembers why he is there and ready to dance!

This is one of the best picture books I’ve read about depression. In A Blue Kind of Day by Rachel Tomlinson, Coen is not having a good day. His family tries hard to help him emotionally, but nothing seems to help. They realize that they must be patient. I really liked how realistic this book was, and it allowed me to talk with my children about depression in a frank way that was understandable for them.

In Kapaemahu by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, four Mahu travel with gifts of healing and science and sail from Tahiti to Hawaii. This is a stunning, powerful picture book about honoring our ancestors.

My 5-year-old son loved Don’t Worry, Murray by David Ezra Stein. It was perfect for him because he is also a worrier! Murray is afraid of trying new things because he worries about them. But he learns that he has to work on his worries if he wants to go on adventures.

The World Belonged to Us is Jacqueline Woodson’s newest text, and just like her others, it is masterful. Every teacher is going to want to read this on the last day of school! I love how it captures the wonder of childhood and beauty of Brooklyn.

Ricki

I am listening to Watch Us Rise by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan next!

Tuesday: Review & Giveaway!: Pink is Not a Color by Lindsay Ward

Thursday: Pigeon & Cat by Edward Hemingway

Saturday: Guest Review: The Worrysaurus by Rachel Bright, illustrated by Chris Chatterton

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

Guest Review: Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora

June 25, 2022 by Kellee

Guest Reviewer: Briana, UCF Elementary Education Student

Thank You, Omu!
Author & Illustrator: Oge Mora
Published October 2, 2018 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary: A generous woman is rewarded by her community in this remarkable author-illustrator debut that’s perfect for the Thanksgiving season, perfect for fans of Last Stop on Market Street.

Everyone in the neighborhood dreams of a taste of Omu’s delicious stew! One by one, they follow their noses toward the scrumptious scent. And one by one, Omu offers a portion of her meal. Soon the pot is empty. Has she been so generous that she has nothing left for herself?

About the Author: Oge Mora is a collage artist and storyteller. Her picture book, Thank You, Omu!, was a Caldecott Honor, Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award winner, and Ezra Jack Keats Book Award recipient. Her second book, Saturday, won the 2020 Boston Globe—Horn Book Picture Book Award. Oge’s artwork has been applauded by The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Boston Globe. She also recently made the Forbes 30 Under 30 2021 list in Arts & Style.

Oge grew up in Columbus, Ohio but resides in Providence, RI. She is a fan of all things colorful, patterned, or collaged, and enjoys creating warm stories that celebrate people coming together.

Review: This is a beautiful and joyous book celebrating community, generosity, and reciprocity. What I like about this book is that everything is freely given: Omu shares her stew out of the kindness of her heart and all of the neighbors return that kindness without being asked or cajoled. I also like this book because it demonstrates how we can and should rely on each other in times of need. Everyone in the book receives and gives help at different points. And this shows how connected, strong communities make everyone’s life better. I think this book is important because there isn’t really any conflict or character growth in the story, instead everyone acts as they should, and this serves as a model for students about how to act and how the world should be.

The cut-paper illustrations, also done by Oge Mora, are colorful and vibrant. This makes the book and the town it depicts feel warm, inviting, and idyllic which draws the reader in and supports the text’s message about the value of community. This book is set within an urban setting, which is a refreshing change of place from the suburbs, and idealized rural and wilderness settings of so many children’s books. And it is important for children to see urban communities as beautiful and valuable.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I think this book is a valuable addition to your classroom library and it is an excellent book for whole class read aloud. This book can be used with the guided questions to prompt discussions about sharing and about the students’ own communities. It is also useful to build a healthy classroom community. Students are going to be asked to share and work together throughout the year. Students can also explore the illustration style while exploring the central theme. For example, students could be tasked to depict a scene of a time when they shared or someone shared with them using cut construction paper. After reading the story students should be able to understand and reflect on their own communities, the members that make it up and how everyone works towards a happy community. You can also discuss the elements of Nigerian American culture that are prevalent in this book, such as the one pot stew and Omu’s name herself.

Discussion Questions:

What does Omu make that has everyone starving?
Why do you think Omu shares with everyone?
How do you think all the characters know each other?
How did the community thank Omu for sharing?
Omu helped her community by sharing! What are things you could share that would help your community? Remember that you can share things that are not physical.
What makes a good neighbor?
Why is sharing important? Can sharing be hard? Why or why not?

Flagged Passages:

Book Trailer:

Read This If You Love: Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña, Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris, Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell

Recommended For:

Thank you, Briana, for your review!

Hope Wins: A Collection of Inspiring Stories for Young Readers edited by Rose Brock

June 23, 2022June 23, 2022 by Ricki

Hope Wins: A Collection of Inspiring Stories for Young Readers
Editor: Rose Brock
Published: May 10, 2022 by Philomel

Summary: In a collection of personal stories and essays, award-winning and bestselling artists from Matt de la Peña and Veera Hiranandani to Max Brallier and R.L. Stine write about how hope always wins, even in the darkest of times.

Where does hope live?
In your family?
In your community?
In your school?
In your heart?

From a family restaurant to a hot-dog shaped car, from an empty road on a moonlight night to a classroom holiday celebration, this anthology of personal stories from award-winning and bestselling authors, shows that hope can live everywhere, even–or especially–during the darkest of times.

No matter what happens: Hope wins.

Contributors include: Tom Angleberger, James Bird, Max Brallier, Julie Buxbaum, Pablo Cartaya, J.C. Cervantes, Soman Chainani, Matt de la Peña, Stuart Gibbs, Adam Gidwitz, Karina Yan Glaser, Veera Hiranandani, Hena Khan, Gordon Korman, Janae Marks, Sarah Mlynowski, Rex Ogle, James Ponti, Pam Muñoz Ryan, Ronald L.Smith, Christina Soontornvat, and R.L. Stine.

Ricki’s and Kellee’s Review: We love that Rose Brock decided to take the idea of Hope Nation and create a version for younger readers because all ages need to hear stories from those they look up. This is especially true about stories that are filled with adversity and hope. Usually with anthologies from various authors, we find ourselves liking only some of the stories and finding that others are dragging; however, with this text, we found that each story fit purposefully in the book. And because of the purposeful choices, every reader will find something in the book to connect with and will learn a little bit of something from each story.

Although we liked all the stories, we did have some favorites:
-Pablo Cartaya speaks from the heart and definitely made us cry (and clap for the young lady who we know inspired one of Kellee’s favorite books, Each Tiny Spark);
-James Bird shows that there is hope even in the darkest of times and the power of a strong support system;
-J.C. Cervantes shared how a teacher changed everything even if the teacher nor the student realize it at the time;
-Adam Gidwitz writes about what so many of us have felt at one time or another, and we felt it deep in the gut;
-Christina Soontornvat shows what life can teach that school cannot;
-Stuart Gibbs tells the truth about adversity and absolute grief;
-Janae Marks speaks to how hopes and dreams can lead to different hopes and dreams, you just need patience;
-Gordon Korman speaks about that feeling of revision and the emotional roller coaster that come with it;
-Hena Khan speaks about what it means to feel different and to want to share a piece of ourselves with others;
-Sarah Mlynowski writes about the powerful bond of sisterhood and the feeling of being far from those we love; and
-James Ponti showed how even in middle school you can stand up for who you want to be, and the power of names and naming.

Although the diversity of stories and authors is vast and all readers will find something to connect with, we did wish there were a few more queer stories in the collection. With the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, we are particularly thinking about this topic. This could be supplemented by teachers with other essays beyond the collection.

Teacher’s Tool For Navigation: This book easily lends itself to a personal narrative unit or a college essay unit. Both of these are very prevalent in curricula, which makes this book a phenomenal fit. Ricki showed the first chapter to her neighbor who is writing her college essay, and it inspired a great discussion.

Discussion Questions:

What is hope?
Where and how do we seek hope?
When have you found hope in your life?
Which stories resonated with you? Why?

Flagged: “The daily reminder of how our own lives can be turned upside down made me realize why it’s so important to hang on to hope. It’s not always an easy thing to do—sometimes, it feels downright impossible—but the thing I know is that difficult times in life come and go; with those experiences, we grow as people. The key is to find ways to motivate and inspire our spirits—stories of hope can do that” (n.p.)

Read This If You Love: Hope Nation edited by Rose Brock; The Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul series; Essay Collections; Anthologies; Middle Grade Authors

Recommended For:

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Odd Birds: Meet Nature’s Weirdest Flock by Laura Gehl, Illustrated by Gareth Lucas

June 21, 2022 by Kellee

Odd Birds: Meet Nature’s Weirdest Flock
Author: Laura Gehl
Illustrator: Gareth Lucas
Published June 14th, 2022 by Abrams Appleseed

Summary: Meet nature’s oddballs in this charming board book about some of the most unique birds in the world!

Backyard birds—move over! Odd Birds introduces babies and toddlers to unusual bird species, including the magnificent frigatebird with a bright red throat pouch and the California condor—the largest flying birds in North America! Gentle rhyming verses provide the comforting repetition that little ones crave, even as their minds are opened to new and fascinating creatures from around the world. At the end of the book, readers will find photographs of each bird, along with more detailed factual information. The eight birds featured are the magnificent frigatebird, blue-footed booby, shoebill stork, ostrich, hoatzin, oilbird, California condor, and burrowing owl.

About the Creators:

Laura Gehl is a former science teacher who still loves getting kids excited about science and nature . . . now through her books. Ever since reading about a poop-shooting caterpillar many years ago, Gehl has spent time researching and writing about interesting creatures and their behaviors. She is the author of more than two dozen books for young readers, including the Baby Scientist board book series, Odd Beasts, Happy Llamakkah!, Apple and Magnolia, and Happy Owl-Oween!. Gehl lives with her husband and four kids in Chevy Chase, Maryland, where she enjoys observing and exploring in the woods near her home. Visit Laura at lauragehl.com.

Twitter: @AuthorLauraGehl
Instagram: @authorlauragehl
Facebook: @AuthorLauraGehl

Gareth Lucas is an illustrator and designer living in Essex, England, with his wife and five children. After studying at the University of Brighton School of Art and Central Saint Martins, he has worked on a variety of projects but enjoys nothing more than illustrating animals, birds, and the natural world. When he is not working, he can be heard indulging his other love—the banjo!

Twitter: @GarethLucas
Instagram: @garethlucasart

Review: When I first read about Odd Birds, I had no idea it was a board book. Based on the illustrations I saw and the summary, I assumed it was going to be a longer nonfiction book, but instead it is everything you’d find in nonfiction picture book but put in a small package.

First, scroll down a little bit. LOOK AT THOSE ILLUSTRATIONS! They are beautiful! Lucas has stepped away form the cartoon-ish style of many board books and focused on the realistic beautify of each of these odd birds.

Second, THIS BOARD BOOK HAS BACKMATTER! This is going to add some super longevity to it because it will allow it to be a fun read aloud to the youngest of kids and a learning tool for older kids. And Gehl has not held back in the inclusion of information in the back matter; it is so informative and interesting.

Third, the text is so catchy with great rhythm and rhyme sequence that makes it a wonderful read aloud and will make it a quick into the read aloud rotation.

Check out Betsy Bird’s Fuse 8 post for an amazing in-depth review!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Use this book to lead you and your reader into learning about more odd animals!

Discussion Questions:

Which of the odd birds are your favorite?
What did you learn from this book?
What do you wish you’d learned about the birds?
Which illustration was your favorite?
How are some of the birds the same? Different?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Love: Nonfiction books, Birds

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Barbara at Blue Slip Media for providing a copy for review!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 6/20/22

August 23, 2023June 20, 2022 by Kellee

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
Sharing Picture Books, Early Readers, Middle Grade Books, and Young Adult Books for All Ages!

The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

Happy reading!

Tuesday: I Want to Be a Vase by Julio Torres, Illustrated by Julian Glander

Thursday: Rosa’s Song by Helena Ku Rhee, Illustrated by Pascal Campion

Saturday: Guest Review: Sulwe by Vashti Harrison

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

Kellee

As you may have noticed, I post every other week now (and you’ll see Ricki is going to rotate with me so we’re usually sharing something), so here is what I’ve read since 6/6 (yay! Summer vacation and lots of reading time!):

Cursed by Jen Calonita: I loved this fractured fairy tale series! The ending was satisfying for all characters which made me like it even more. I highly recommend it to any Land of Stories or Whatever After fans!
Merci Suárez Changes Gears by Meg Medina & Merci Suárez Can’t Dance by Meg Medina: I am so looking forward to reading the third book in this series this summer, so I reread the first book (which I LOVE and wrote the teaching guide for!) and read the second book for the first time. I like that Merci’s story balances school/friend and family stories in a beautiful way that seems so realistic.
Flying Lessons and Other Stories from We Need Diverse Books, edited by Ellen Oh: I didn’t know until I read the afterword of Can’t Dance that Merci started as a short story in Flying Lessons which is a short story collection that I owned but hadn’t read yet, so I picked it up and read all of the amazing stories AND got to read Merci’s origin story. It is so interesting to see what Meg Medina changed and kept when turning the short story into a novel.
All Four Stars by Tara Dairman: This is one of my #mustreadin2022 books that was recommended by a student (thanks, Maria!), and I am so glad she shared this new-to-me series with me that is about a young girl who has a passion for cooking and reviewing food, but doesn’t have the parent support she needs to excel; however, then something extraordinary happens that lends to Gladys being able to share her love, if only she can make it work!

The Resolutions by Mia Garcia: Another student recommended title (thanks, Leticia!) which I was so happy was shared with me. This YA novel is about 4 friends who are all trying to keep the friendship alive while also figuring out their futures as they finish up junior year so they give each other New Year’s Resolutions to help each other find their passions and also grow closer to each other. A fun and insightful read with great inclusive representation.
Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri: Nayeri’s prose were just so beautiful while he mixed myth and memoir, far past and recent past. This is unlike any book I have read, and I can definitely see why the Printz honored it.
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo: Another student recommended title (thanks, Ana!). I can see why Lira is some people’s favorite anti-heroine! She is truly a misunderstood monster. In this truly twisted siren and pirate tale, adventure is on every page and it definitely keeps you wanting to turn the pages! And I like that it is a standalone fantasy novel!
Wild Blue Wonder by Carlie Sorosiak: Another #mustreadin2022 novel which was recommended to me for my middle school library, but I wanted to read it before adding it into my collection. This book jumps between a summer that changes everything and the fall after the tragedy that has changed the Sawyer family forever; it looks at grief from different points of view and how to heal from something that no one should have to endure.

Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, Illustrated by Gabriela Epstein: I am so excited because Christina Diaz Gonzalez is our 2022-23 visiting author for my school! Invisible is her new graphic novel which comes out in the fall, and I cannot wait to share it with my students–they are going to love it!
Across a Field of Starlight by Blue Delliquanti: Anne Ursu challenged us on her birthday to go to a book store and support queer authors/books, so off I went to Barnes & Noble with my dad where I found this amazing graphic novel full of science fiction epicness. I know students are going to ADORE this book!
Odd Duck by Cecil Castellucci, Illustrated by Sara Varon: My sister and nephew found this book at the library and LOVE it. Though I had read it in the past, it had been a very long time, so I picked it up after Trent and my sister started talking about which Duck I was. I am so glad I reread it because it is just a joy!
Cat’s Café by Matt Tarpley: I went to the library with my sister and when checking out the kids graphic novel section, I found this that I had not seen before, but I knew that cats + graphic novels = Trent win! And guess what–I was right! Trent loved it so much, he asked me to read it after him, and it was so funny and cute and everything you want in a book like this.

Hold Hands by Sara Varon, Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen, & Are You a Cheeseburger? by Monica Arnaldo: All of these were picture books my nephew picked out, and we read together.

Ain’t Too Bright by Jason Reynolds, Illustrated by Jason Griffin: This book is brilliant. Get it. Then listen to it too. And I promise you–read it. Phew! SO beautiful!
Inheritance: A Visual Poem by Elizabeth Acevedo, Illustrated by Andrea Pippins: Elizabeth Acevedo knows how to craft words in a way that is exquisite and with Pippins’s artwork, this poem is fantastic.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke: My dad bought this book for me after he read it because he felt that I would love it, and you know what? He was right. This magical little book was more than I could even expect. Piranesi is one of two people in his world; a world filled with beautiful sculptures in a spectacular maze. But the world is so much more than it seems! Just read it.
If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy: What a great twist on Cinderella and The Bachelor! I read this all in one sitting!

I have finally made a small dent in my #mustreadin2022 list! So far I have enjoyed them all, and they all have been so different!

To learn more about any of these books, check out my 2022 Goodreads Challenge page or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

Because Kellee is rotating weeks, I am going to do the opposite week to make sure we are sharing lots of books each week!

Kellee

I’m reading The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory now then will read A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

Tuesday: Odd Birds: Meet Nature’s Weirdest Flock by Laura Gehl, Illustrated by Gareth Lucas

Thursday: Hope Wins: A Collection of Inspiring Stories for Young Readers edited by Rose Brock

Saturday: Guest Post: Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora

and