It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 9.12.16

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

I blogged about Elly Swartz's debut novel Finding Perfect.  Find it here and then go find it on 10.18.16.  It's perfect.

Love the books about small moments in time that you might not otherwise know.  Read about this amazing mountain chef here.

Picture Books


Ninja! Attack of the Clan by Arree Chung
4/5 stars
Arree Chung's books always have one line in them that get me every time.  This one is no different.  Laugh out loud funny!
I enjoyed returning to this ninja family.  I love that the family recognized how busy they've been and find time to play as a family.


One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree by Daniel Bernstrom
4/5 stars
Told in the format of "I Know an Old Lady Who...", this story chronicles a snake that lives in the eucalyptus tree who is tricked by a young boy, who happens to be the snake's first snack, into eating more and more.
With amazing illustrations by Brendan Wenzel (They All Saw a Cat), this book is one to remember!  Kids will love the action words and repeating phrases.


Everyone Loves Cupcake by Kelly DiPucchio
4/5 stars
Everyone Loves Bacon was a HUGE hit last year, I know Cupcake is going to be equally loved.  Loved the puns and the silliness.


The Snurtch by Sean Ferrell
4/5 stars
The Snurtch... it's that thing that does everything you're just thinking  about, like taking something out of someone's hands, throwing things, tearing things up.  At least that's what is happening to Ruthie.  Turns out everyone has a Snurtch.
At least I know who to blame now....
This is one of those picture books that will work best with an audience who is going to be able to infer what the author is not explicitly saying to the reader.


Parachute by Danny Parker
4/5 stars
Would be a good companion book to Courage by Bernard Waber.
It's easy to overlook how things look to a child - what can seem easy to us, may loom large in a child's mind.
Young Toby relies on a parachute, that way if ever in a dangerous situation, it will be there.  But after using it to save a beloved pet, and then having to face fears without it, Toby slowly understands that he has a little more bravery inside him than he realizes.


My Friend Maggie by Hannah E. Harrison
4/5 stars
It amazes me how early bullying starts.  And how many forms it takes.
Harrison takes on verbal bullying in her newest book.  I like how it takes place on the playground because it seems like so often that's where it happens - away from the carefully constructed positive classrooms.  
I hope important conversations happen as a result of this book.

Young Adult


A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom
4/5 stars
Mel is bipolar, yet she's trying not to let people know about it while regulating its ups and downs.  
Great window/mirror book.  There are teens that will see themselves within this book.  It's important to have it so they can see themselves.  It's going to be a great window book for others.  I liked how the secondary characters reacted to Mel's secret - it all seemed very realistic and insightful.
I read an advanced copy through Edelweiss.  Book is scheduled to publish in February 2017.


Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven
5/5 stars
Yes, this book had cliches and predictable parts.  But I still loved it.  It was hard to put down.  I enjoyed both characters and what they did on a daily basis to survive high school and all of its horrors.  I think I liked this one even more than AtBP.  Look for it on October 6th.

Currently Reading


Cloud and Wallfish by Anne Nesbet
This book takes places in 1989 in East Germany, a very tumultuous time.  A lot is about to change for East Germany and our young main character, Noah, is there in the time leading up to it.
Full of factual information, I feel I am learning more about this time than any history book ever taught me!

I am organizing all of my books at home.  It is an enormous undertaking.  What is so crazy is the amount of books I have to read.  Can someone please figure out how to make sleep optional???