It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 2.27.17

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

On the #road2reading Challenge I shared books to help boost the stamina of young readers.

Here's a series of books that match well with some Next Gen Science Standards.

I love finding books that make me laugh out loud.  Here's a list and Ame Dyckman's newest!

Picture Books


Antoinette by Kelly DiPucchio
3/5 stars
This was a cute follow up to Gaston and readers will love seeing Gaston and his family again in this book.  Sweet theme about finding your own talent and what you are good at.  Of course loved the illustrations by Christian Robinson.


Bob, Not Bob: To be read as though you have the worst cold ever by Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick
4/5 stars
This book really came out at the perfect time.  It seems like cold and flu season has set up permanent residency at our house.  Someone always has a cold and sounds just like Little Louie in the book!  This will be a fun read aloud.  I can just see kids trying their own hand at a good cold voice!


Laundry Day by Jessixa Bagley
4/5 stars
I remember my parents leaving us kids after dinner to go on a walk.  We were supposed to do the dishes while they had a quiet conversation... without us.  What ensued could only be described as chaos.  There was more water on us and the floor than on the dishes.  We spent more time cleaning up the mess we made than on cleaning the dishes.  
That memory reminds me a bit of this book.  Tic and Tac are bored.  Every suggestion their mom gives them gets a been there done it type of response.  Except for hanging the laundry.  For whatever reason, this sounds like a good idea.  And when Ma Badger has to leave to go to the store.... well, it's kind of like my memory.  Just a bit of chaos.


Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima
4/5 stars
I like that the theme might be that even through differences, we really can all get along and work, or play, together.
Love the illustrations.


A Perfect Day by Lane Smith
4/5 stars
When I pick up a Lane Smith, I have an understanding about which direction the book is going to go.  This one did not disappoint, although I wondered....
Different illustrations for Lane.  I liked them.
This one would be good to use when talking about perspective.  What is a perfect day?

Middle Grade


Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly
3/5 stars
This book has many things going for it - a cast of diverse characters (not just with race, but also disabilities) and a story line that is relevant for today.
I liked how the story line comes together.  It took a little bit for me to fall into the book, but once I did I enjoyed how the author pieced little details together.


Amina's Voice by Hena Khan
4/5 stars
Really enjoyed this story.  Come back on Thursday for a full review!

Young Adult


The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner
5/5 stars
I remember when Victoria Coe told me about this book.  She let me know this amazing book was coming out.... but I remember what she didn't tell me was it wasn't coming out for months!  I put it on preorder and got it when it first came out last March.  But there's always so many books and so little time.  When 2016 came and went and I still hadn't gotten to it, I knew it had to go on the #mustreadin2017 list!  So glad I read it because it truly is amazing.  As I wrote on my goodreads review, you know how you hear and hear and hear about a book and how amazing it is.  And then you get around to reading it, and maybe because of the hype, but you just don't love it?  This is not that book.  It lived up to the hype and surpassed it.  I would have loved this book in my teens.

Currently Reading


Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Another #mustreadin2017!



The Ethan I Was Before by Ali Standish
I've had this one on my list for awhile.  Many friends have already gotten to it and said it's wonderful!

Happy February Reading!