It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 6.24.19

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 shared some nonfiction picture books about space!

Week 2 of the Summer Chapter Book Series (for 1st-5th grade teachers) featured chapter books about space.


Picture Books


A Friend for Henry
written by Jenn Bailey
illustrated by Mika Song
A very important book for younger classrooms to have.  Henry is trying to navigate finding a friend, however, he has definite ideas of what friendship is and how one would act within a friendship.  An adult reader will recognize that Henry is probably somewhere on the spectrum.  It is never noted, just behaviors shown.  This book will be good to use to discuss with young children how to handle a situation that comes up between two classmates.


The Girl and the Wolf
written by Katherena Vermette
illustrated by Julie Flett
A beautiful story that was inspired by fairy tales, but has its own twist.  A young girl gets lost in a forest, separated from her family.  It's through the compassion of a wolf that the young girl receives help in clearing her head and thinking about what she must do.


The Little Book of Big What-Ifs
by Renata Liwska
A book full of possibilities and wonderings - one you might want to use to inspire writing or conversations.  Beautiful illustrations.


Hello
by Fiona Woodcock
A book that is full of words that have double "ll"s and illustrated so many of the words are part of the scenery - just like Woodcock did with her book Hello, this is another fun story that is told through individual words that carry the story and are integrated into the pictures.


Fox and the Box
by Yvonne Ivinson
Oh this would have been a fantastic Geisel Award contender had the author/illustrator lived in the United States!  Told in single words, this story is about an adventurous fox who is ready to take a box sailing.  He ends up getting into some trouble but a kind hearted ocean animal helps him out. 
So many ways you could use this as a phonics mentor text - vowel patterns, digraphs, word parts, vocabulary.  And with a fun storyline there is a lot to notice about how the text and illustrations work together.  A must have for primary libraries!


Abner and Ian Get Right-Side Up
written by Dave Eggers
illustrated by Laura Park
An interactive book that will definitely cause the giggles!  Characters Abner and Ian are coming out from the sides of the layout, perpendicular from the bottom of the book.  Their back and forth dialogue about what they want the reader to do (shake the book to get them back into the proper place) will leave you smiling and laughing.  A longer picture book (80 pages) but it's one readers will ask to read over and over!


I Am Not a Fish
by Peter Raymundo
The subtle message of we are more than the labels we assign to people/ourselves is a great one to talk about with young readers.  Would be great to have a conversation about how we are more than one thing and one label cannot define all of the traits that make up a person.

Middle Grade


The Paris Project
by Donna Gephart
One thing I know about Gephart's books, you always care about the characters long after you close the pages of the story.  Cleveland Rosebud Potts is another one.  She is a kid who is trying to find her place in the world, actually, she's trying to get to a new place in the world.  Specifically, Paris.  Cleveland has it rough right now because her father is in jail and that has left her in a very lonely world.  No one in her grade will speak to her and her only friend isn't even in her grade.  But then he starts acting differently and Cleveland doesn't know who to turn to.  
This is a story about growing up, about changes that happen as you figure out who you are, about letting go and understanding and perspective.  
Gephart includes resources and information about children who have a parent that is incarcerated.  Whether this book is a mirror or window, young readers can't help but open their hearts to Cleveland!
A little wait for this one - not going to see it until October, but don't miss adding it to your TBR... or preorder it now!

Currently Reading


Most Valuable Players
by Phil Bildner
One of my #mustreadin2019 books!


I'll be taking a mini blogging break next week to celebrate the 4th of July with family!  See you in 2 weeks!