It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 1.15.18

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

Have you met The Bland Sisters?  Make sure you read their second unintentional adventure!  Don't miss the author interview and giveaway in this post.

I shared some nonfiction and fiction books about strong African American leaders.

Two January releases you don't want to miss - the third Fenway and Hattie installment and Hope in the Holler.


Picture Books


Snow Sisters! Two Sisters, One Snowy Day
written by Kerri Kokias
illustrated by Teagan White
I think the dedication in this book speaks volumes about perspectives, "To my family: May we always see the ways we're connected, even when we're apart."
Two very different sisters approach a snow day in different ways.  Told in simple nouns and verbs, we see how two sisters approach the day with their own personalities.
Illustrated by the lovely Teagan White, this is a book I would spend time pouring over the small details in the illustrations.


Grandma's Purse
by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
I feel like grandmas always have a mysterious air around them.  They seem to be full of treasures, and this book celebrates just that!  I love how Brantley-Newton sees the special parts in all of the things that make up the items in grandma's purse!


Love
written by Matt de la Peña
illustrated by Loren Long
There's really nothing new I can say about this gorgeous, magical book.  Just please be a book pusher, and make sure everyone has a chance to read this one!


Dear Girl,
written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Paris Rosenthal
illustrated by Holly Hatam
This is just the sweetest book - a love letter, most likely from a loved one to a daughter.  I read it three times.  Twice to myself to soak it in and once with my daughter.  Be sure to share this one and keep it on your gift list - it's one you'll want to share with others.


The Pink Hat
by Andrew Joyner
Add this to your books about peaceful demonstrations, civil rights.  
A story of how a pink hat came to be and then belong to many different people for short amounts of time until it lands in the hands of a young girl who eventually wears it to the historic Women's March on January 21, 2017.


Brave
written by Stacy McAnulty
illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff
I have been trying to find this one for awhile, so glad it was in the Scholastic order!  I really loved the message this book shares - it's not the big things we do to be brave, sometimes it's the hard, small and quiet things that matter the most.


Bagel in Love
written by Natasha Wing
illustrated by Helen Dardik
I'm always looking for books that have figurative language, in this case silly puns.  Perfect to use when teaching punny language!  Also a sweet story (see what I did there?) for Valentine's Day love!


Hey Black Child
written by Useni Eugene Perkins
illustrated by Bryan Collier
When we made our Mock Caldecott list this book had not been published.  Looks like I better make sure we read this one too!  Bryan Collier is an artistic genius.  I loved finding the references from long ago, to MLK, to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Powerful words from Perkins makes this a book you'll want to make sure every child hears.


The Gingerbread Man and the Leprechaun Loose at School
written by Laura Murray
illustrated by Mike Lowery
This may be my favorite Gingerbread Man book because I can't wait to do a leprechaun voice!  This is going to be a very fun read aloud.

Middle Grade


Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire
by John August
Oh, I can't wait for it to be February because this book is going to be well loved and read!  Perfect for Harry Potter and Fablehaven fans, this suspenseful/action-filled/fantasy will leave readers hanging on the edge of their seats and wanting more.  
Come back on Feb. 6th (its book birthday!) for a longer review!  Until then, make sure you have it marked on your TBRs.

Currently Reading


The Serpent's Secret: Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond
by Sayantani Dasgupta
Do you know how long I've had this book on my TBR?  Goodreads said I first marked it down on May 23, 2017.  That's a long time to wait for a book - especially since it doesn't publish until February!  Thank goodness for ARCs!


X: a novel
by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon
This book has been on my TBR even longer, and for one reason or another, I just haven't gotten to it.  That's why it went on my #mustreadin2018 list!  Here we go, book one for 2018!


Happy reading to all!