Monday, January 19, 2015

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 1.19.15

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.

You can tell it was a full week of school.  The reading amount went drastically down!  More picture book reading than longer books.  Looking forward to Monday being off and having time to catch up a bit!

Picture Books

The Great Big Book of Families
The Great Big Book of Families by Mary Hoffman
5/5 stars
I loved the start of the book, "Once upon a time most families looked like this...." and it shows a mom, dad, brother, sister, dog and cat outside of a nice home.  The book goes on to show there are all kinds of families, homes, occupations, who works in a family, celebrations, pets, etc.  I love the diversity of this book and how it lays it out in a very matter-of-fact manner.  Bottom line, families care for each other.  

The Bear Ate Your Sandwich
The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone-Roach
4/5 stars
Cute story.  I think this would be good to use to show narrator.  There is a twist at the end, but it would be have fun to have kids make predictions who the narrator is up until that point.

How to Grow a Friend
How to Grow a Friend by Sara Gillingham
4/5 stars
Loved the bright illustrations in this story!  I think this book would be a fabulous addition to a Kg/1st grade classroom at the beginning of the year to start the year discussing how to make and grow friendships.

Last Stop on Market Street
The Last Stop on Market Street by Matt DeLaPena
4/5 stars
I like the story - a young boy, CJ, and his Nana take a bus ride to the other side of town.   CJ laments about what he is missing, but is taught a valuable lesson by his Nana.  I am really excited to use this book as a read aloud.  I think there is a lot to be discussed - setting and theme, particularly.  I think it would be really fun to use this book with Lauren Castillo's Nana in the City.

Supertruck
Supertruck by Stephen Savage
4/5 stars
Do you have a young boy (Kelle and Ricki, I'm looking at you!)? Do you have a Pre-K/Kg little one?  This book is so perfect for them!  Or for anyone who loves a good superhero story!

Middle Grade

The Exact Location of Home
The Exact Location of Home
 by Kate Messner

5/5 stars
I am so glad Kate continued the story of Gianna and Zig, this time told from Zig's point-of-view.  It can be read as a stand alone novel, or as a companion to The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z.  This January has been a month of Kate Messner for me.  I'll write more about her books in a later post.

Currently Reading

All the Bright Places
All the Bright Places
 by Jennifer Niven

Yeah, it really is that good.  I will finish it this week.

On-Deck

I have Greenglass House and See You at Harry's waiting for me.  One is checked out from the library and one is on my #mustreadin2015 list.  So many books....

Hope it was a happy reading week for all!

11 comments:

  1. Kate Messner was one of the nicest authors we've ever had visit. I need to get a hold of her newest titles!

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  2. Your comments about All the Bright Places made me laugh out loud. :)
    I was just writing up my review of Last Stop on Market Street and was considering how it would connect to Nana in the City. I haven't read the latter, but I realized they must be very close in some of their themes--or if they aren't, that would make for great classroom discussion, too!

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  3. My copy of All The Bright Places is winging around the classroom. Hope I can get it soon! I will look for How To Grow A Friendship-lots of younger students need that, & The Bear Ate Your Sandwich does look like just fun!

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  4. So many books indeed! I just bought All the Bright Places but I'm determined to finish a few of the many, MANY books I'm in the middle of right now before I start anything new. I love Christian Robinson's art so really want to get a copy of Last Stop on Market Street.

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  5. Great list! Halfway through your description about Last Stop, I starting thinking about Nana in the City too!

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  6. Wow, what great picture books, you make me want to read them all! I finished All the Bright places last night. I agree, it really is that good!

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  7. I am so glad you loved The Exact Location of Home. And All the Bright Places?? Crazy good...and-watch out-it will stick with you. I haven't been able to (figuratively) put it down since I finished.

    I really liked both of your on-deck books...you're in for some good reading days ahead!

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  8. Oh man, another All The Bright Places! I need to get to this book! It is sitting on my TBR pile right there ----->
    Glad to hear Kate's novel is good; I have enjoyed all I have read of hers.
    Enjoy See You At Harry's!!!!!!

    Happy reading this week! :)

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  9. Supertruck looks like a fun book.

    I think I need to get on the All the Bright Places bandwagon. I feel like I'm missing out on something important.

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  10. I'm now waiting for All the Bright Places even more anxiously than I was before. Make sure you have a box of kleenexes for See You At Harry's

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  11. Hi there Michelle - I also have All The Bright Places in my must read books this year - I hope I get to it soonest. :)

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