Sunday, September 28, 2014

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 9.29.14

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.

Oh my, I think this was the least amount of books read in a week in a very very long time.  They were some great books, but not much reading happened this week!  Here are some quick reviews:

Picture Books

The Farmer and the Clown
The Farmer and the Clown by Marla Frazee
4/5 stars
I was a little nervous with a clown being one of the main characters but Frazee can make even clowns be ok! Sweet story, pull on your heart strings story, worthy of multiple reads.

Middle Grade

Fish In A Tree
Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
5/5 stars
Dyslexia is a hot topic in education right now. We have new legislation and it seems more and more parents and students are using the word. But what is it and how does it really affect a learner?
Lynda Mullaly Hunt has done her homework and applies it beautifully to her character, Ally. I know so many teachers will recognize Ally, as well as many students will see Ally in themselves or in a peer. 
Your heart breaks for Ally and it celebrates each of her achievements. 
Fantastic book.

Graphic Novels

Smile (Smile, #1)
Smile by Raina Telgemeier
5/5 stars
In getting ready to read Sisters, I picked this book up to look at again. I remember purchasing it over two years ago and my daughter promptly took it over. Guess I never got it back to read because only the first few pages were familiar!
Can't say anything new about this fantastic memoir told in a graphic novel format. Except maybe I don't think Raina wrote this for kids. I think the targeted audience was for all the adults who grew up in the 80s and 90s. Wow, a Silver Spoons reference??? The good 'ol days..

Currently Reading and On Deck

Sisters      Loot

7 comments:

  1. I need to reread Smile. Farmer & Clown should be arriving today--at least I hope so, because I am very eager to read it. I am so looking forward to Fish in a Tree! My state does not recognize dyslexia as a reading disorder and so kids can get no support or interventions in school if they have it. Very frustrating!

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  2. I really enjoyed Loot, and will be interested to hear your thoughts, Michele. Still awaiting my copy of Fish in a Tree.

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  3. Oh, didn't you love Fish in a Tree? On of my faves from this year! My class is all over Sisters right now.

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  4. I really loved The Farmer and the Clown. Thought the sweet factor just made this book a treasure. I am off to see Raina tonight live in Vancouver!

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  5. I seriously need to get my hands on a copy of The Farmer and the Clown. That was like the book of the week I think.

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  6. Fish in a Tree looks like such an important book. I have never read a book about a character with dyslexia, interestingly, so I want to get this book and learn more! Thank you for sharing!

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  7. Can't wait to get my daughter a copy of Sisters - we might be inviting Raina Telgemeier here in Singapore next year for the Asian Festival of Children's Content - very excited about that.

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