It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 5.24.21

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.

Picture Books

Daisy

by Jessixa Bagley

This sweet book is perfect for your identity, central theme, friendship collections.

Daisy is teased because she doesn't have the perfect flower name and as a result, tends to keep her head down and not look for interactions.  But she does find treasures - treasures that may be unwanted to others but look beautiful in her eyes.  And then one day, new treasures show up at her secret hiding place.  Who knows Daisy enough that they are leaving special things for her to find?  Readers who look at the illustrations very carefully may just find that secret friend!

My First Day

written by Phùng Nguyên Quang

illustrated by Huynh Kim Liên

Gorgeous illustrations and story about a boy going on a journey by himself.  His destination is unknown for the majority of the story.  This story could be used to talk about going on a journey, traveling on your own and growing up.  Pair with Camp Tiger or other books that show kids traveling to places differently than we do in the United States.

Tiny Kitty, Big City

by Tim Miller

Told in sparse text and full spread layouts, readers will follow along with a kitty who resides in a big city.  Tiny kitty has ups and downs in this big city and lots of feelings - good and bad.  But it has a heartwarming end that will be very satisfying for readers.  Be sure to see the jacket flap where it tells this story is based on some real life kitty rescuing!

Blue Floats Away

written by Travis Jonker

illustrated by Grant Snider

So much is packed into this story.  Blue lives a contented life as an ice berg, connected with his mom and dad.  But when he is separated from them (hello, global warming), Blue discovers that while change can be new and unknown, there is sometimes a lot to learn when having new experiences.  With a minor lesson with the water cycle and backmatter that gives a brief background on global warming, this book has a lot to discuss!

Home is In Between

written by Mitali Perkins

illustrated by Lavanya Naidu

I imagine there are many immigrant children who feel exactly like young Shanti.  Wanting to keep her identity from the country she was born in, but wanting to learn and adapt as many American traditions as possible, leaves her feeling in between.  A mirror and window book (Sims-Bishop) for many readers.

Our Little Kitchen

by Jillian Tamaki

A small moments story about one day in a community kitchen that feeds a meal, once a week, to people in the community.  The food that is used is locally grown or donated, and readers see how a meal is put together when you work with what you have.  Don't miss the author's note at the end that sheds light on her experience.

Wanda's Words Got Stuck

written by Lucy Rowland

illustrated by Paula Bowles

Wanda the Witch would rather be quiet, simply because her words get stuck.  She wants to be brave and talk to her classmates, but somehow her words don't some out.  But with a new friendship, Wanda finds her words come to her when she needs them most of all.

Thank you to Candlewick for the review copy.  

Middle Grade

Not All Heroes

by Josephine Cameron

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for the e-galley.

Reading digitally is funny for me.  I find it hard to get attached to characters and really fall into the story.  When I am able to do that, I know it's a book that I would have loved even more had I read a bound copy.  That was the case for this story.  I loved meeting Zinnia and finding out what was going to happen to her.  Zinnia is a kid dealing with grief as her family navigates life without her little brother.  Zinnia has trouble fitting in at school but she's about to get some relief because her nineteen-year-old aunt is coming for a stay and Zinnia is very close with Aunt Willow.  Things start to look up when Willow arrives as they both get to know the family who lives above them.  They turn out to be Real Life Superheroes and Willow and Zinnia find themselves a part of the group quickly.  

This book is about friendship and identity, family and healing, and learning what a hero is really all about.

While this is a character driven novel, there are some exciting plot sections that give it a boost of action.  I think this story will draw a lot of readers to it!

Paper Heart

by Cat Patrick

I loved reading Tornado Brain last year and was excited to find out there was going to be a companion novel.  This time it's told by Tess, Frankie's twin sister (Frankie was the narrator of Tornado Brain).  While it's helpful to have read the first book, this is considered a companion novel so it is it's own separate story, but I do think having some background is helpful.

The story takes place not too long after the end of the events in Tornado Brain.  Tess is going away with her aunt's family to Wyoming.  It's a welcome break from being home after Colette's death and she gets to attend an art camp.  However, Colette had visited the cabin with Tess and family in a previous summer, so there are still a lot of memories that Tess has to wade through.  She also has a lot of anxiety, not only about the death of her friend, but about who she is and where she fits in with her family.  Tess has an inner voice that the reader gets to hear and we understand how her grief and anxiety are taking hold of her and it becomes a very tough summer to get through.  But with new friends and a sometimes surprising ally in her older cousin, Tess grows as a character.

I think I actually enjoyed this one even more than Tornado Brain.  I can't put my finger on why, but I'm glad to see that the next book is even stronger than the first!

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers for the review copy.

Currently Reading

Every Body Looking

by Candice Iloh

This is from my #mustread list for the month of May.  I have two books on the list for this month so I guess I need to get reading!

Seven more days of school.  I can see a tiny sliver of light.  Much to do before we get to the end, but I'm definitely ready to relax and clear my head before the next school year!