It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 9.10.18

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.

Today's post is going to wrap up two weeks of reading.  I was too sick last Monday to get this post up and running!  I rarely get that sick so I allowed myself a week off from blogging to relax a bit more.  Ready to roll this week!

Last Week's Adventures

Looking for some books about other cultures?  Two new ones you want to know about here.

I love this new book from Melissa Stewart.  Ideas for how to use it as a reading/writing, science and SEL mentor text here.

Visiting some new places and cultures in this #road2reading post!

Picture Books


Always Anjali
written by Sheetal Sheth
illustrated by Jessica Blank
I am so grateful my friend, Kristen Picone, told me about this book.  There is so much to love and appreciate about this book.
As a one "L" Michele, I've always had a tough time finding anything with my name spelled "correctly" on it.  If I wanted something preprinted, I'd have to become Michelle.  But as my friend, Aliza Warner has written about - names are important!  I've always been aware of this and it's something I am careful about to this day.  I try to always spell names correctly.  I try to always say names correctly.  And even though remembering names and pronouncing every single one correctly can be hard for me, I will continue to work at it because I understand the importance.
Anjali faces something similar.  She is looking for her name on personalized bicycle license plates.  Her friends Mary and Courtney find theirs quickly.  But here's where Anjali's experience is different from mine.  Not only can she not find her name, she is bullied because of her name.  Multiple times and multiple people laugh and make fun of her because her name is "different".  It's through a loving interaction with her mother that Anjali learns the importance and background of her name and it gives her the strength to face the bullies.
Pair with Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal.


The Wall in the Middle of the Book
by Jon Agee
This book is going to generate some very interesting conversations about:  perspective, fears and possibilities.
The wall in the middle of the book (yay, we get to talk about the gutter of the book!) is supposed to be protecting one side from the other.  However, what side needs protection?
Publishes Oct. 2nd.


Sir Simon: Super Scarer
by Cale Atkinson
While you might pull this book out for Halloween time, it's really a story you can share at any time!  Meet Simon, he's a ghost that has just been assigned to a new house.  He figures he has it made when he notices an old person moving in - they are way easier than kids!  But it's to Simon's surprise when he finds a child in the house.  Luckily for him, he tricks the boy into doing his ghostly chores.  Don't look now, but this may just be a sweet story about friendship!


Stumpkin
by Lucy Ruth Cummins
A Halloween story that can be told year round because of its positive central message - you don't have to change, be yourself!  I like that the message doesn't hit you over the head with its positivity - gently unfolds in this lovely story.


The Dreamer
by Il Sung Na
This book has a great message about determination and growth mindset.  A pig (interesting choice of an animal for this story) admires birds and decides he wants to fly like them.  He tries different ways and ends up enlisting help from friends.  The great thing is he finally figures out what he needs to do to fly.  But then everyone starts building things to fly and that's when the story goes wrong for me.  I guess it's good to show that inventions can help the greater good.... just seemed like this story went on for too long.  In my opinion.....


I'm New Here
by Anne Sibley O'Brien
Just finding this book because it's counterpart, Someone New, has recently published.  I'm glad I found this one because I think it will be great to have not only because we have students that will see themselves within the pages, it also is a good reminder for classmates to new students to approach things from the other perspective!

Nonfiction/Fiction Book Pairing


Super Manny Cleans Up!
written by Kelly DiPucchio
illustrated by Stephanie Graegin


Spring After Spring: How Rachel Carson Inspired the Environmental Movement
by Stephanie Roth Sisson

Both of these books feature characters (one real, one fictionalized) who are upstanders in their communities, who despite being very shy and nervous, fight for a cleaner environment.  Share at any point but definitely have these around in April for Earth Day!

Graphic Novels


Illegal
by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin
illustrated by Giovanni Rigano
Very powerful book about the refugee experience, this time highlighting the movement from Northern Africa to Europe.
Every time I read a book like this it helps me understand what is happening in other parts of the world that I really do not know enough about.  I'm grateful for books like these and that they are getting into the hands of kids who are going to be, what I really hope, a kinder generation that is going to be more understanding due to the kidlit they are reading today.


Kitten Construction Company: Meet the House Kittens
by John Patrick Green
From the author of Hippopotamister comes a new series about kittens who just can't be taken seriously for their profession - construction!  Even though they definitely the best "man", errr person, errr animal - for the job, they aren't hired because all anyone sees them as are cute kittens.  
Hmm, I wonder if kids will see the theme of this book or the underlying message.... 
Looking forward to more in this series!

Middle Grade


Blended
by Sharon Draper
I always love anything Draper writes!  This one didn't have as many lines that stuck to me as some of her previous books, but I think the topic is so important, it's going to stick to a lot of kids anyway!
Isabella is "blended" no matter how you look at it.  She has two blended families since both her mother and father are divorced and are in new relationships, and her racial identity is blended since her mom is white and her dad is black.  She's also seeing first hand the racial tensions that are so prevalent in our society today.  
Draper takes on very current topics and brings them to a middle grade audience.  Where other books like Ghost Boys, Dear Martin, and The Hate You Give are for upper middle grade, YA audiences, this one is perfect for middle grade.
Publishes Oct. 30th.
DRC from Edelweiss.


After Zero 
by Christina Collins
Elise is a character that will stay on your mind and your heart long after you close the pages of the book.  The readers sees Elise's quick progression into mutism and how intense it becomes.  She starts counting the number of words she speaks in a day and is quick to celebrate when she can get to zero.  The causes of Elise's mutism are many and varied - we see her bullied by multiple people, lose friends, and she lives with her mom who borders on being emotionally abusive.  We don't know the cause of Elise's mom's behavior which leaves us a mystery to solve.
I wish the ending had been just a bit more drawn out.  The resolution comes quickly and I wish we had gotten to see a bit more how it came together.
I think readers will fall in love with Elise and hold so much hope for her!


Bounders
by Monica Tesler
This was another #mustreadin2018 book for me!  I had preordered this based on the advice from people I trust but just hadn't picked it up yet.  Well, I already bought books 2 and 3 and book 4 (which publishes later this year) is in my cart! 
This is a really fun science fiction series and fills a gap for some of my readers.  Kids who enjoyed Countdown Conspiracy or Chronicle of the Dark Star series by Kevin Emerson will really enjoy this series.


My Father's Words
by Patricia Maclachlan
Thanks to Jason Lewis for sending me this one!  
As all MacLachlan novels are, this one is straight to the point in as little words as needed.  This one cuts straight to the heart and I imagine will be a very important read for someone.  The children in this story have just lost their father to an accident.  They are both trying to find their way through grief and find healing.
This book publishes Oct. 2nd.

Currently Reading


The Endling:  The Last
by Katherine Applegate
I first started reading this book as an e-reader.  I've spoken before about how sometimes it's really hard for me to fall into a book when I read it electronically.  This book is a perfect example.  I think I got about 35% into it and really did not like it.  Since it was Katherine Applegate, I knew it was more likely I was having a bad reading experience because it was electronic, so I stopped, waiting for the physical copy.
I'm so glad I did because I am having a much better time with this story reading the actual copy.  One of the reasons is because it can be confusing - there are many made up animal species and I had to go back and reread sections/descriptions.  I find going back and rereading hard to do in an e-reader.  I also love there is a map on the endpages of the book.  I've referred to it several times.
I'm also really excited because I've been looking for a solid fantasy book to add to my Mock Newbery, and I think I found it!

Hope you're getting back into the school routine and are finding some time for reading too!