It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 2.24.2020

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

Some new nonfiction picture book biographies here.

A new narrative nonfiction book - Honey, the Dog Who Saved Abe Lincoln - author interview and giveaway in the post!


Picture Books

A couple of weeks ago the Wisconsin State Reading Association's Children's Literature Committee published their list of recommended titles.  I scoured their list because it always has inclusive titles that I had missed.  Here are some I picked up from the library this week.  Here is the entire list if you would like to check it out!


Anya's Secret Society
by Yevgenia Nayberg
Anya was born in Russia and Anya was born left-hand dominant.  In a place where "the right hand is the right hand", Anya had to learn to be right-handed.  But drawing could only happen in her left hand.  To help her cope she developed a secret society of creative left-handed people.  When she moves to America, will she still need her secret society?


Dad's Camera
written by Ross Watkins
illustrated by Liz Anelli
This one will pull at your heartstrings.  A father is taking photos on an old camera of items, but not people.  The reader is told the father is forgetting things, an adult reader and readers with experience with this will understand the father has Alzheimer's Disease.  


Daring Dozen: The Twelve Who Walked on the Moon
written by Suzanne Slade
illustrated by Alan Marks
This nonfiction picture book briefly touches upon the twelve men who walked the surface of the moon.  While I knew of the items that were on the moon, I didn't know the stories behind them.  The personal stories will be interesting for young readers.


The Boy Who Touched the Stars/El niño que alcanzó las estrellas
written by José M. Hernández
illustrated by Steven James Petruccio
A dual language account of the author's youth working with his migrant farming parents to working hard and reaching for the stars.... literally as he became an astronaut with NASA.


Not Quite Snow White
written by Ashley Franklin
illustrated by Ebony Glenn
What happens when a young girl who has waited her whole (young) life to play the part of a princess is told she doesn't look the part, including because of the color of her skin.


A Plan for Pops
written by Heather Smith
illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan
A young boy spends every Saturday with his grandfathers.  Each have their own interests and that suits the young boy just fine.  He creates with Grandad.  He grows musical skills with Pops.  And the three of them always go to the library.  But when Pops has an accident and injures himself badly, to the point of always needing a wheelchair, the young boy must put all of the interests together to help him.


Bitter and Sweet
written by Sandra V. Feder
illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker
A young girl is sad when she has to move to a new town.  Her grandmother reminds her there is always some bitter and some sweet with a new experience.  
One of my favorite new-to-me titles from this list.

And here are some picture books from my library stack!


I Didn't Stand Up
written by Lucy Falcone
illustrated by Jacqueline Hudon
Inspired by the poem "First They Came" written by Martin Niemöller in opposition to the Nazi party, this is a powerful book about watching when kids are bullied and not standing up against the bullies, who are often in a more powerful position.  Definitely didactic, but this may be the story you need to start a conversation.


Anna and Samia: The True Story of Saving a Black Rhino
by Paul Meisel
A human and animal friendship story, readers meet Anna, who runs the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, and Samia, a baby rhinoceros, whose mother has just left.  Anna nurses the newborn to health and eventually teaches him to live on his own in the sanctuary.


Big Papa and the Time Machine
written by Daniel Bernstrom
illustrated by Shane W. Evans
If you teach the Notice and Note Signposts, add this one to Words of the Wiser.

Poetry


Just Like Me
by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Anytime I can find a book written or illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, it goes on the must read list.  I was excited to find this new one, what I did not know is it's a collection of poetry!  Each poem features bold, brave, and brilliant girls being girls!  Sometimes they are fierce, sometimes timid, but always unique!  This is a must add to your poetry collections!


Middle Grade


The Disaster Days
by Rebecca Behrens
Definitely a book you want to hand off to your I Survived readers.
Hannah thinks she's going to babysit her next door neighbors for a few hours.  Lots of things are on her mind, like a big fight with her BFF, but all of that goes to the side when a huge earthquake hits her area.  All of sudden, she's having a babysitting adventure she never thought she would have!  Exciting book and looks like there will be a follow-up - new characters and storyline - this fall.


Efrén Divided
by Ernesto Cisneros
I've heard some really good things about this one, but what I had heard didn't even live up to the experience of reading it.  This is a book that is timely and needed.  It's raw and honest.
It's the story of Efrén and his family - his Amá and Appá and his younger siblings, Max and Mía.  It's a loving and caring and hard working family.  But they live in constant fear because Amá and Appá are illegal immigrants.  Right away in the story Amaá is deported.  The rest of the story shows the power of a family who loves each other, the raw feelings of living when something is not fair, and finding help and hope in places that surprise you.  
This is definitely going on my Mock Newbery list.
It publishes March 31st.  Preorder now!

Currently Reading


Becoming
by Michelle Obama
I made some good progress in this book this week!  Hoping to finish it by next week.


Ana María Reyes Does Not Live in a Castle
written by Hilda Eunice Burgos
This one has been on my TBR for awhile.  It's not even the first time I've checked it out from the library.  But my friend Kristen Picone enjoyed it so I made sure to get to it this round of checkouts!


Looks like we're back to winter time in the Midwest.  Time to cozy up under a blanket again. Hope you're getting in some reading time wherever you are!