Unleashing Readers

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!

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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

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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!

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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!

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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?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Loved: the Castronaut series, the Narwhal & Jelly series, the Elephant & Piggie series

Recommended For:

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**Thank you to Julia at Wunderkind PR for providing a copy for review!**

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 12/13/21

December 13, 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!

Tuesday: A Seat at the Table: The Nancy Pelosi Story by Elisa Boxer, Illustrated by Laura Freeman

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

Kellee

Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko: I am so glad that I finally listened to this sequel to Raybearer! First, I highly recommend the audiobooks if you are going to read these books–they truly bring it to life! Also, although I was satisfied when Raybearer ended, Redemptor takes Tarisai on her true journey to figure out how she fits. Beautifully crafted in both voice and plot.
Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions by Navdeep Singh Dhillon: I was so excited to write a teaching guide for this one, and I cannot wait to share it! I adored the nerdiness of this book–it has cosplay, fandom, and fanfiction references throughout that so many are going to love. Sunny is also such a wonderful character–both caring, funny, but also dealing with some real stuff. I also loved the allusions to rom-coms; it added an extra fun element to it. And on top of the story, I loved the representation in the book and was so happy to read reviews from readers who found themselves reflected in this novel. For me it was a window that I loved looking into, but for those who it is a mirror, it seems to mean a lot.
It Will End Like This by Kyra Leigh: What a messed up book!!!! Like, I don’t even know how to review it other than sharing that if you like psychological thrillers, this book is for you. And when you finish, talk to me because I still have so many questions!
Concealed by Christina Diaz Gonzalez: This book was such a fun book to read with my lunch book club. There were so many twists and turns that it gave us a lot to discuss and predict. The revelations were quite mind-blowing, too; many we did not see coming! This is a book so many middle grade readers are not going to be able to put down!
Treasury of Magical Tales from Around the World by Donna Jo Napoli, Illustrated by Christina Balit: I love the Treasury series from National Geographic because it gives such a beautiful glimpse into whatever the topic of the book is. This one focused on tales from around the world and included stories from 29 places, “from the Arctic to Africa to Asia to Australia to Europe to the Americas.” This book is THE book of magical tales you want on your book shelf for your kids/students as it removes the Eurocentrism of fairy tales and takes readers on a journey through stories all over the world. And it is written by Donna Jo Napoli, so you know it is beautifully crafted! (And there was a review that said the audiobook was good; I now want to go listen to it!)
Waffles and Pancakes: Planetary-Yum by Drew Brockington: Loved this young reader graphic novel that is a prequel to the Catstronaut series. It is going to be a favorite of so many early readers!
Love is Everything by Charles Ghigna, Illustrated by Jacqueline East: Ghigna’s focus on hope and love was so clear from the beginning of this book. Though the text was sparse, it was lyrical which makes from a wonderful read aloud. This new picture book will be a wonderful gift for young ones in our life to show that we love them and believe in them and that there is hope and love in the world. (Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/So0rP_GSESw)
Clean Getaway by Nic Stone: This was a reread for me, but my teacher book club was reading it, so I wanted to be fresh on the details. Although I love the road trip aspect and learning about G’ma’s history in an interracial relationship, I found the closure on it to be unsatisfying (and I cannot tell you why because it is from the end of the book), but I still found the book enjoyable, know students love it, and am glad we read it for book club so I could revisit it.

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

Ricki

It’s finals week, and I am completely swamped, so I have to bow out this week! I will be reviewing on Thursday!

This is our last IMWAYR post for a couple of weeks as we are going to take a Winter Break!
We wish you all happy holidays (if you celebrate), happy winter break (if you get one), and happy new year!

Thursday: Waffles and Pancake: Planetary-Yum by Drew Brockington

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