Unleashing Readers

Kellee’s #MustReadin2021 Recap & #MustReadin2022 Intro

January 13, 2022January 11, 2022 by Kellee

I love the Must Read challenge! I took part in 2015-2019 & 2021, so I am happy to join again! It helps me remember to read certain books!

Thank you to Carrie at There’s A Book for That for starting this challenge and to Leigh Ann of A Day in the Life and Cheriee of Library Matters for co-hosting the revival.

For those of you new to the challenge, it has you take a look at the books you wanted to read, but for whatever reason, you have not gotten to them. You then make your own personal list of books you want to commit to (trying to) read.

There is no set number of books and books can be published from any year, in any genre or format, and in any category. These books will not be the only ones you read this year but will be the ones included in your personal challenge.

Visit HERE to see the #MustReadin2021 year end updates!

Visit HERE to see the #MustReadin2022 Roundup!

2021 was my most successful #MustRead challenge I’ve had so far! I finished all but 2 books (40/42)!

For my #MustReadin2022 I let my students choose some titles for me! The ones marked * below are the ones they chose for me; the rest were chosen by me 🙂

The Accidental Hero by Matt Myklusch*
Alice in the Country of Hearts by Quin Rose
All Four Stars by Tara Dairman*
Almost American Girl by Robin Ha
Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston
Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Brave Enough by Kati Gardner*
Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Natalia Sylvester*
Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller*
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik*
Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly*
Delirium (and sequels) by Lauren Oliver*
Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From by Jennifer De Leon
Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri
Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie*
The Fire Within by Chris d’Lacey*
Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart*
Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy
Hunter X Hunter by Yoshihiro Togashi
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
The Inheritance Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes*
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover*
The Magi by Kevin M. Turner*
The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
The Million Dollar Race by Matthew Ross Smith*
Moving Target by Christina Diaz Gonzalez*
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart*
The Nerdy Dozen by Jeff Miller*
#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leaderdale
Nubia: Real One by L.L. McKinney and Robyn Smith
Paradise on Fire by Jewell Parker Rhodes*
Randoms by David Liss*
The Resolutions by Mia Garcia*
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid*
A Sitting in St. James by Rita Williams Garcia
Spy School by Stuart Gibbs
That’s Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger*
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo*
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart*
When You Look Like Us by Pamela N. Harris
The Whisperer by Fiona McIntosh*
Wild Blue Wonder by Carlie Sorosiak

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 1/10/22

January 16, 2022January 10, 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: Kellee’s Favorite Books Read in 2021

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

Kellee

I start teaching my first UCF course, Children’s Literature, this week, so I used this weekend to get ready *SQUEE!!*

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

Ricki

This week, I reread Sisters of the Neversea by Cynthia Leitich Smith. It’s such a clever reinterpretation of the Peter Pan myth. I am very excited to be using it in a paper that I am writing. It is written for a middle grade audience but would be appreciated by readers of all ages.

Ricki

I am reading Black Canary: Breaking Silence by Alexandra Monir. So far, it is great!

Tuesday: Kellee’s #MustReadin2021 Recap & #MustReadin2022 Intro

Thursday: The Faith of Elijah Cummings: The North Star of Equal Justice by Carole Boston Weatherford, Illustrated by Laura Freeman

Saturday: Sofia’s Kids’ Corner: The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

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

Kellee’s Favorite Books Read in 2021

January 4, 2022 by Kellee

2021 is in the books, and I am here to celebrate my favorite books read during the year!

I’m excited for this post because I haven’t done one in a bit since I was on an award committee, but this year I can celebrate!

Here’s a summary of my year in books

Here are my favorites separated into picture books, middle grade, young adult, early readers, kid lit, older nonfiction, and graphic novels/manga!

And there they are!

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

I, obviously, recommend these books wholeheartedly, but they are just 50 of so many amazing books I read in 2021–check out my READ bookshelf on Goodreads to see these & more!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 1/3/22

August 23, 2023January 3, 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!

Thursday 12/16: Waffles and Pancake: Planetary-Yum by Drew Brockington

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

While we’ve been away, I (Kellee) went on vacation to Colorado, and Ricki and I got to see each other! It was the most wonderful 36 hours with one of my best friends! And the kids had such a blast together! 💖

Kellee

Here’s what I’ve read since I last updated on December 13th:

Dragons in a Bag and The Dragon Thief by Zetta Elliott: Oh how I love these books! What a fun concept with great characters that anyone reading is going to fall in love with. I am so looking forward to the third one coming out! (I loved it so much that I added it to my fantasy/sci-fi book club options for my UCF Children’s Lit class!)
Brilliant Bea by Shaina Rudolph, Illustrated by Mary Vukadinovich: With ALA Youth Media Awards around the corner, I wanted to get some picture book reading in for eligible Schneider Award picture books, and I was so happy to have found Brilliant Bea. What a great character who shows that dyslexia is more than who anyone is.
Another Book About Bears by Laura Bunting, Illustrated by Philip Bunting: I thought this humor was on point, so I look forward to reading more from this duo (I checked out their website and there are so many to choose from!).
Last Gate of the Emperor by Kwame Mbalia and Prince Joel Makonnen: What a fantastic futuristic adventure! I loved how the setting played its own part in the story, the humor that shone throughout, and the character development throughout. I was also lucky enough to write the teaching guide for it which was such a delight!

The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor by Shaenon K. Garrity: This concept is so unique and fun! Gothic novel fan Haley gets swept away to Willowweep Manor and feels like her dreams have come true as she finds herself in a truly gothic setting; however, there is so much more going on than she first realizes!
Sanctuary by Paola Mendez & Abby Sher: Whoa! One of my favorite reads of the year. Period. Dystopian and futuristic in the way that Internment by Samira Ahmed was, in a future just too close for comfort. This story looks at what could happen if we continue to suspect all immigrants instead of becoming inclusive.
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily E.R. Pan: I can see why so many people love this book. It is beautiful. But man, it hit me hard and was just so sad! That may show how well done it is though.
Santa in the City by Tiffany D. Jackson, Illustrated by Reggie Brown: A perfect Christmas Eve read aloud for Trent! And many of the questions asked in the book are ones that Trent is asking about Santa, too.
My City Speaks by Darren Lebeuf, Illustrated by Ashley Barron: Like Brilliant Bea, this book fits Schneider criteria. It is a beautiful look at how a city sounds while a child, who is visually impaired, walks around.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Big Shot by Jeff Kinney: I always read the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid, usually around Thanksgiving, but I hadn’t this year; I am glad I could squeeze it in before the end of the year! (I also want to commend Jeff Kinney for realizing that Greg and Rowley had a toxic relationship and moving away from including it.)
My Brother’s Husband by Gengoroh Tagame: Loved loved loved this story about a single Japanese father who meets his deceased twin brother’s husband for the first time. He must fight his own prejudice and learn to love his brother for who he was.
Smaller Sister by Maggie Edkins Willis: This is a graphic novel you are going to want in your libraries! It is a story of sisterhood as well as body image, anorexia, and disordered eating. It is done so tactfully and within a story that any reader will connect with.
Sayonara Football Vol. 2 by Naoshi Arakawa: Volume 1 ended in such an odd way, I am glad volume 2 picked up right where it left off and cleared things up for me. I think this is going to be a hit manga in my school.
The Snow Fell Three Graves Deep by Allan Wolf: Allan Wolf is a genius. Have you read anything by him yet? If not, fix that. This one or his Titanic novel are brilliant. The way he tackles topics, does research to immerse himself, and can tell stories from so many points of view is just so all encompassing. I mean, some of the points of view in this book, which is about the Donner Party, is from hunger (literal and figurative) and from oxen–it was fascinating to read!

A Night to Die For by Lisa Schroeder: A murder mystery thriller that kept me guessing, and I couldn’t believe the reveal when it was shared. Fans of Karen McManus, Holly Jackson, and Kara Thomas will want to pick this one up!
Shuri by Nic Stone: It is great to see Shuri get her own novel, and it is quite the adventure!

To learn more about any of these books, check out my 2021 Goodreads Challenge page or my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Kellee

Currently, I am not reading anything! I do have 2 teaching guides to work on, and I have some novels I’ve chosen for book clubs in my Children’s Lit class at UCF that I need to reread, but we’ll see what I do this upcoming week as we return to work.

Tuesday: Kellee’s Favorite Books Read in 2021

and

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 12/27/21

December 27, 2021 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!

We are taking a 2 week Winter Break to be with family and recharge.
We hope that you all are able to do the same!
See you in 2022!

and

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 12/20/21

December 20, 2021 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!

We are taking a 2 week Winter Break to be with family and recharge.
We hope that you all are able to do the same!
See you in 2022!

and

Waffles and Pancake: Planetary-YUM by Drew Brockington

January 1, 2022December 16, 2021 by Ricki

Waffles and Pancake: Planetary-YUM
Author: Drew Brockington
Published October 26, 2021 by LBYR

Summary: Inspired by his beloved Catstronauts series, Drew Brockington is going back in time to when everyone’s favorite Catstronaut, Waffles, was a kitten!

One very special Saturday, Dad-Cat decides to take Waffles and his sister Pancake to the big city to go to the science museum! While they’re there, the kittens see extraordinary things, like dino-cats, hairballs in 4D, and even the planetarium. But as the kittens learn about constellations and Neil Pawstrong, they get separated from Dad-Cat. Oh no!

Will the kittens be able to find their (possibly invisible) Dad-Cat? Or will they get stuck living in the museum and eating star tots and tuna melts fur-ever?!

Ricki’s Review: The Catstronaut series is a huge hit in our house, so I was thrilled to receive this book. This prequel is so fun, and I love talking about prequels with students. It inspires so many questions and also reminds readers to think about story context in magnificent ways. My kids love to read books that offer interdisciplinary and nonfiction information, so I was very pleased with this book. It allows for rich opportunities for inquiry. Teachers will find easy connections and teachable moments within this text.

The humor of this text makes it a very fun book to read with kids. My two boys (ages 5 and 8) absolutely loved it.

Kellee’s Review: First, I must share how much Trent loves the Catstronaut series. It was the first series that he found on his own, loved, and even asked his librarian to get the rest of the series for him. When he heard I was going to get and review a Catstronaut prequel, Trent was SO EXCITED! And he loved it, too.

This prequel sets up the stage for the Catstronaut books. It shows where Waffles and Pancakes got their love for science which is a great set up for the main series. I also love that this book is for younger readers so will be a great scaffold.

I also really liked the cross-curricular aspect of the graphic novel. It adds an extra element to it that will lend to it being a great addition to home, classroom, and school libraries.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation:

Read Waffles and Pancake and have students guess what they think the kittens will do when they grow up. Then read the first Catstronauts book, and have students check their prediction.
There is a lot of science in this little book! As reading it, connect science lessons with the book. Topics include: Electric charge, astronomy, constellations, moon landing (history, too!), meteors/meteoroids/meteorites.
Have students look up the closest science museum to them and look at the map. Compare/contrast with the Big City Science Museum. (This read aloud would also be a fun reason to go on a field trip!!)

Discussion Questions:

Waffles and Pancake lose their dad when at the science museum. What did they do that you should always do if you lose your adult?
The author created Waffles as a puppet, who stars in the author’s YouTube drawing show, “Let’s Do Fun Stuff Together.” How does this show inspire you? What kinds of characters can you imagine?
This book is a prequel. If you have read the Catstronaut series, is this what you imagined for the prequel? How might you imagine it differently?

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