It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 5.25.2020

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

Books that celebrate equal opportunities for all... and one book that should be avoided.



Picture Books


Outside In
written by Deborah Underwood
illustrated by Cindy Derby
I am loving this book more and more with every read.  It's going to be perfect to read whenever talking about the outside and environment.  Talking about noticing the small details?  This one is perfect!  And I can see even using it for a mentor text for opinion writing.  The writing quietly convinces you to notice the details of the outside and how it can be found everywhere, including inside.  Beautiful illustrations make it even more memorable.
Don't overlook this one!


Khalil and Mr. Hagerty and the Backyard Treasures
written by Tricia Springstubb
illustrated by Elaheh Taherian
A beautiful story about intergenerational friendships.  While this story touches upon an elderly character having dementia/Alzheimer's characteristics, it celebrates the little things we can do for the people we care about.


One Little Bag: An Amazing Journey
by Henry Cole
I was able to get a preview of this book a year ago and I knew it was special the first time I saw it.  I was excited to be able to share it for Earth Day, but that did not get to happen.  It's a wordless picture book and a little harder to share over a computer.  
Much like Lift by Minh Lê, I think this is a book that should be discovered by each reader.  I don't want to say much about it.  The pencil illustrations are so detailed, I took so much time looking at each layout.  The story and the message of the book are timeless and this book will be read and used in lessons for a long time.


Happy Right Now
written by Julie Berry
illustrated by Holly Hatam
The book everyone needs.  Right now.  
So often we find ourselves in situations that are probably out of our control and we focus on the negative parts of them.  This book reminds us to look for the positives in situations and to turn attitudes around.  However, it also acknowledges that it's ok to feel upset and angry and to allow those feelings as well.  
This is the book you need right now.
And Holly Hatam's illustrations are perfect!


When the Storm Comes
written by Linda Ashman
illustrated by Taeeun Yoo
Have you had spring storms by your house?  We just had one here last night!  We have our rituals when we know a particular nasty one is coming by.  We stack up patio furniture.  Make sure any pots that are light and are sure to blow over are down on the ground.  Did you know animals do the same thing?  In rhyming text, Ashman shares some of the things that animals and people do before a storm comes through.  I love the vocabulary that is sprinkled through the text, great to talk about - "below the eaves", "we hunker down", "we haul debris".  Great words to talk about to build vocabulary!

Graphic Novel


Doodleville
by Chad Sells
Kids will love it because it's a graphic novel.  What starts out as a fun, adventurous story - an art club visits The Art Institute (in Chicago!) and young Drew's doodles in her notebook escape and have fun with the paintings - however, it turns into a story about the anxieties we have and ways they can manifest and control our feelings.  While Drew loves her doodles, she feels like she always messes up and causes problems that she never means to happen.  Her friends get mad at her but she sees this as her own personal failure instead of people expressing their feelings and emotions.  What comes out of this is a new doodle named Leviathan, Levi for short.  While Levi at first seems playful, Drew slowly figures out that Levi feeds... mostly on her own emotions.  And when that happens, he becomes more dangerous.
Based on the cliffhanger ending, this book is the first in a series.  This book features characters and doodles identifying as LGBTQ and non-bianary.  I love that it celebrates how art history can inspire comics.  
There was just one thing that felt off to me in this novel.  It did not surprise anyone that these doodles were coming to life.  I thought at first it was Drew's secret and that made sense.  But then the other kids knew about it, and then the adults did.  So I guess it's just part of this world in this story, but it seemed odd that this wasn't odd... Maybe an intro to the book that explained this phenomena more??  I'm sure young readers won't question it at all, it's my adultness coming in!!
Doodleville publishes June 9th.

Middle Grade


Genesis Begins Again
written by Alicia D. Williams
I love that Williams has written about another part of being Black that hasn't been written about a lot - the degree of darkness of skin color.  In Genesis' mind - and a perspective that has been shared by her grandmother and father - she will never be beautiful because of how dark her skin color is.  Her mother, is more light skinned Black, and that makes her more beautiful in Genesis' mind.  Realistic fiction that feels timeless, this book will be an important one to share with readers for decades to come.
My only complaint is how quickly the ending was wrapped up - I needed some more details!  It really leaves it open for more stories to come... if we should be so lucky!


Mañanaland
by Pam Muñoz Ryan
This is a tricky book for me to rate.  Depending on where you are in the book, is the rating I would give it.
The first 120pgs. did not work for me.  I found them to be boring and overly wordy.  The descriptions dragged the narrative down and left my mind drifting.  Once I got to page 120ish, the plot started to pick up, the characters became more relatable, and I found myself turning the pages quickly because I couldn't wait to find out what happened.
I think this is a book that most kids will need to be encouraged to stick to.  It strikes me as a book adults love but young readers won't be able to fall into.  Your voracious readers will get through it, but many readers will need encouragement or incentive (I'm thinking kids will need to know they are reading it for something like Mock Newbery... not the prize incentive....) to finish the novel.  It's not too long, but getting to page 120 can take some time and discourage readers!

Currently Reading


King of Scars
by Leigh Bardugo
Last of the GrishaVerse novels (for now anyway)!


Hope you found some time to read this long weekend!


* Looking to find one of the books in this post?  Click on the book title and you will be taken to an online link for Brain Lair Books.  The books will stay on the link for approx. three weeks before making room for new reads.  Please support independent bookstores.*