It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 12.02.19

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

Here are a few things for you to get caught up on!

Cover reveal for Madeline Finn and the Therapy Dog

Check out the books from the new imprint Make Me a World.

More nonfiction picture books for your stacks.

New books for your newly independent readers.

Spotlight on poetry - a roundup of new books.


NCTE Preview
Here are some books that I picked up or quickly read at NCTE that you will want to have on your 2020 radar!


Be You!
by Peter H. Reynolds
Sometimes the sentimental and uplifting books are nice, but are maybe meant more for a caregiver and child experience.  This one though, is going to be perfect to read with students.  The influential message of being you no matter who that may be is an important message you want to resonate with readers.  This is going to be a perfect book to read at the end of the year as you send readers off to the next grade.  Or it could be a perfect book to read with kids at the beginning of the year to let them know who they are is exactly who you want them to be.  Or maybe you want to talk about character traits.  See, it's just a great book to have!  Pubs March 2020.


Almond
by Allen Say
A story about believing in yourself and seeing your truth.  
Almond does not believe she has a talent.  Other people see what she is able to do but it takes Almond believing in herself before she sees the possibilities.
Pubs March 2020


Oil
by Jonah Winter and Jeanette Winter
Wow, this is a powerful book.  About the causes and effects of oil pipelines - from how it goes across the country disrupting places and the effects of an oil spill.  Can't wait to share this one. 
Pubs March 2020


I'm Gonna Push Through
written by Jasmyn Wright
illustrated by Shannon Wright
Love this book about perseverance and determination.  Featuring people in history and present time who have pushed through and persevered even when it has been difficult.  Also shows kids overcoming and working through child-centered problems.  I love how the text isn't bogged down with a lot of information.  Instead, the book relies on the illustrations to give information and when needed, additional information is shown in the backmatter.
Pubs Feb. 2020

Picture Books


I Am Love: A Book of Compassion
written by Susan Verde
illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
Another book in her "I Am..." series.  This book is a bit more abstract and probably needs a good discussion to go along with it.  I would read it and emphasize the idea of compassion more than love.  
Don't miss the author's notes at the end.  Verde mixes yoga to help young readers understand the idea of opening up your heart.


I Wonder
written by K.A. Holt
illustrated by Kenard Pak
Add this to your collection for curiosity seeking books.  This would be perfect to introduce a Wonder Wall or Passion Projects.


Octopus Stew
by Eric Velasquez
A book written to celebrate the author/illustrator's Afro-Latino heritage, it features a Latina grandmother who is getting ready to take her superhero-cape-wearing grandson to the store to buy an octopus in order to make octopus stew.  The grandson clearly enjoys the arts as he documents the story unfolding around him.  There is a surprise as we see how Velasquez pays homage to his African heritage and their ancient tradition of oral storytelling.


Finding Kindness
written by Deborah Underwood
illustrated by Irene Chan
Sometimes when we think about kindness and doing something for others we come up with ideas on a grand scale.  Sometimes kindness just needs to be a small gesture, and one that starts close to home.  
I love seeing how kindness can stretch across a community in this book.  It's a story to go back and share and look at the kindness chain throughout the story.


Croc and Turtle Snow Fun!
by Mike Wohnoutka
What happens when best friends have different interests?  They learn to compromise, of course!  Fun, winter time story!
The entire story is told through dialogue and the author/illustrator designates one color to each character so young readers can visually discriminate who is doing the talking.

Middle Grade


Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster
by Jonathan Auxier
This book has been in my stack for a long long time.  Since he would be speaking at NCTE's Children's Award Luncheon, I wanted to make sure I got to it.  
Auxier does an amazing job blending reality and magic and historical fiction in this beautiful story.  Readers will love meeting Nan and Charlie and how they need each other in unexpected ways.  I really loved the setting Auxier builds and just loved the melt of what was real and what was magic.


The Queen Bee and Me
by Gillian McDunn
I loved reading Caterpillar Summer by McDunn earlier this year and I can tell you after reading this book, she definitely has a flair for middle grade writing!  Both this book and her debut are realistic fiction and they both will stay on your heart for awhile.  You can't help but think about the characters long after you close the pages.  However, that's where the similarities end.  In The Queen Bee and Me, we meet Meg who is in a toxic friendship, however she doesn't quite recognize it herself.  Beatrix takes control of all situations and puts her needs before Meg's.  When Meg becomes friendly with a new neighbor, Beatrix pushes their friendship to new limits.
Even though I'm decades past middle school, the themes and conflicts in this book are as old as time.  McDunn's words would have felt true years ago as much as they do today.  I can't wait to share this book with readers in March 2020!

Currently Reading


Hide and Seek
by Kate Messner
This was one of my #mustreadin2019 books.  I'm about done and will be ready to start the third book in the series.
I'm also still getting through The Toll.  I'm really enjoying it, but having difficulties finding time to read!