It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 1.12.15

This weekly post comes from Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers.  It's a great source to find new books to use with your students.

What do you do when you have below 30 degree wind gusts and you're off school?  You read!


Picture Books


Stormy Night by Salina Yoon
3/5 stars
Bear, the star of Yoon's Found from last year, is back with his found Floppy the Bunny!  This time, Bear is fearful of a thunderstorm that is outside his home.  Bear finds that the true comforts in the face of something scary is having your parents, a treasured stuffed animal and a book with you!  I loved seeing the cameos of Penguin and Pinecone in the illustrations.  Pair this book with Blue on Blue by Dianne White during spring storms!


What If...? by Anthony Browne
4/5 stars
I think this would be a fun book to use to show inferring with young students.  Joe can't remember the house number for his friend's party and by looking at the homes and windows of the home, Joe has to figure out if it's his friend's house or not.


First Snow by Peter McCarty
4/5 stars
What would it be like to experience snow for the first time?  Young Pedro finds out!


In Our Mothers' House by Patricia Polacco
5/5 stars
Beautiful story that shows what being in a family is all about - loving and caring for each other.  Polacco tells a wonderful story about children growing up in a home with two moms and the traditions and love in the home.  Beautiful.


Please, Mr. Panda by Steve Antony
3/5 stars
This one missed the mark for me.  When I think of books that have a sarcastic, humorous edge, I think of I Want My Hat Back.  I feel like Please, Mr. Panda tried for that same edge, but it didn't give me that same chuckle.


Hermelin the Detective Mouse by Mini Grey
4/5 stars
Fun mystery, detective book.  I liked going back and using the text to fill in what I didn't see in the illustrations.


Transitional Chapter Books


The Case of the Weird Blue Chicken by Doreen Cronin
4/5 stars
I love these sarcastic chicks.  Every adventure of their's makes me laugh.



Middle Grade


The Way to Stay in Destiny by Augusta Scattergood
5/5 stars
I mentioned last week that I had finished this beauty of a book the night before my post went up and just didn't have time to write about it.  I absolutely adored this book, it was beautifully written, has a fantastic setting and awesome characters.  The relationship between the main character, Theo and his reluctant guardian, Uncle Raymond are at the front of the story.  I love that Scattergood keeps their relationship real, and doesn't sugar-coat it.  The setting of Destiny, Florida (which sounds so good during this cold snap we're having) is just as important to the story as the Rest Easy Rooming House and what it offers to Theo.
Some of my favorite lines:
pg. 99 "That's what happens.  You start off dreaming one thing about your life.  But you have to be ready for what turns up."

pg. 101 "When she asked if I wanted to play for her recital, I figured I'd have more time to practice before being thrown to the leotarded wolves."

pg. 145 "Nobody in the history of the universe ever learned one single fact worth knowing on the last day of school."

pg. 176 "I don't have a clue what I'm talking about, but I'm making my wishes big."

Don't miss this book!


Pie by Sarah Weeks
5/5 stars
I really enjoyed the characters in this story.  I think the main character in this story, Alice, would have been friends with Theo, from The Way to Stay in Destiny.


The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z by Kate Messner
5/5 stars
I love that the books I've started with in 2015 have all been amazing.
What amazes me about this book is the voice of the author, Kate Messner.  She understands kids.  She understands her audience.

Currently Reading


The Exact Location of Home by Kate Messner

On-Deck


All the Bright Places by Jennifer Nevin
I've heard amazing things about this one!

Have a wonderful reading week!