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.
Last Week's Adventures
Doing a mini lesson on narrative texts in nonfiction? Need a mentor text list? Here you go!
Have you heard of Sara Pennypacker's upcoming book Pax? It's one you want to put on your radar. Here's a small teaser.
Oh how I love to find books to use for inferring. Spotlight Friday featured this great book.
It was a wonderful Mock season. I celebrated our Mock Newbery, Caldecott and Geisel here.
Picture Books
Don't Throw it to Mo! by David Adler
3/5 stars
Darn you Geisel Award!!! Just once I would like to have guessed the potential winner and have had it included in our Mock Geisel discussion.
This was a cute story about the little guy winning and making a difference. Great to hand off to young readers who are ready to try reading on their own with a bit of controlled text.
Freckleface Strawberry: Loose Tooth! by Julianne Moore
3/5 stars
I love these new Freckleface Strawberry easy readers.
Freckleface Strawberry has a loose tooth but she must lose it at school, no where else. Why? To get the special tooth holder necklace, of course!
Easy Reader Chapter Books
A Pig, A Fox, and a Box by Jonathan Fenske
3/5 stars
Another Geisel dark horse not on my list.
Fun read, clever rhymes, fun for young readers.
Transitional Chapter Books
Lola Levine: Drama Queen by Monica Brown
3/5 stars
Lola is a fun character. I like that she is strong in a sport, but struggles in other areas. Young readers like her.
Young Adult
Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom
5/5 stars
Oh I loved this book. When I saw Ricki give this book a ton of love, I went straight to my library app and put it on hold!
Parker Grant is a character that will stick with me for awhile. She is blind as a result of a horrible accident. As a result, she has set up rules that must be followed. These rules protect her and keep her safe. While some people might view the rules as being harsh or see her as being tough to like, I thought they made her more interesting. People with a handicap grow up with different sensitivities, they sometimes view things or approach things differently. I loved how Parker knew what she needed to keep herself feeling safe and she set those limitations in place. She was so real to me and her feelings so raw.
Amazing book from a debut author. Wow.
Middle Grade
Paper Wishes by Lois Sepahban
Loved this book. In fact it has it's own post coming up next week! Stay tuned!
Currently Reading
Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell
On Deck
Star Wars: Before the Awakening by Greg Rucka
Loved the new movie so I'm interested in reading more about some of the new characters!
What are you reading over this long weekend?
Not If I See You First looks like an awesome book. I definitely need to check it out. I also need to read Paper Wishes. Now that the nasty winter weather has settled in, definitely more time to cozy in and read! Have a terrific week!
ReplyDeleteI now want to read Paper Wishes and Not if I See You First. I've got Rooftoppers in a pile of books from the library that I need to get to. I've heard that it will turn me into a fan of Katherine Rundell.
ReplyDeleteI managed to miss reading all the award books - no matter what award - this year. I have lots of catching up to do. Here is what I read last week. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteI've noted the early readers, ready for my early reading granddaughter, Michele. Thank you! I think the idea of Not If I See You First might be an important book for a read aloud for the middle grades, right? I read My Left Foot to my middle school kids a long time ago, and the next year one of their classmates had had a summer accident and lost an arm. Having read the book and discussed handicaps made this boy's transition back so much easier. If we don't have a chance to know someone with physical challenges, it's sometimes hard to know what to do or how to act. Paper Wishes is on my list-someday! Thanks for all!
ReplyDeleteLovely to see a child with a visual impairment represented, I think it's so important that diversity in literature extended beyond gender and race and include ability as well, so that all of us can see ourselves represented in our literature one day!
ReplyDeleteOh, now you have me excited about your review for Paper Wishes - looking forward to it!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read Pax! I've heard so many good things. I need to read the Geisel winner. I reviewed an Honor Geisel, Supertruck, on my post today. I LOVED The Wolf Wilder!
ReplyDeleteWe didn't have a long weekend, but I still did get a lot of reading done because it was frigid outside so we tried to stay inside. I can't believe I still haven't read a Lola Levine book. I love Monica Brown and need to get on that.
ReplyDeleteBoth of the books you read sound so good!!!! I have put them both on my TBR :)
ReplyDeleteHappy reading this week!
I've been reading so many great things about Pax - it keeps showing up on my feed, and I have a feeling it's exactly my kind of book. I also want to read Wolf Wilder - but wasn't able to find a copy in our libraries last week - will try again this weekend.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for Pax--I LOVE Sara Pennypacker. I feel like the Geisel came out of left field this year--more than one book I've never so much as heard of? Obviously I can't read anywhere close to everything, but that's why I count on my Monday community! I don't remember anyone covering a couple of those books. And can I say, whither Ballet Cat?! REALLY?! SIGH.
ReplyDelete