It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 10.07.19

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

Some more nonfiction picture books for your stacks - some of my new favorite read alouds!


Picture Books


Mr. Nogginbody Gets a Hammer
by David Shannon
This is a book I would use for "what is it really all about".  Mr. Nogginbody thinks he can fix everything with a hammer.  What what looks like a nail, isn't always a nail.  Good springboard to talk about how we don't treat everything, or everybody, the same.  We need to approach each situation individually.


My Footprints
written by Bao Phi
illustrated by Basia Tran
A book about bullying and lifting family up.  Bullying because your family looks different, you look different, your name is different.  A great book to use to talk about kindness, being an upstander, and having conversations within your family.


Our Favorite Day
by Joowon Oh
A grandpa gets ready for his favorite day - the day his granddaughter visits.  A very sweet story about the bond that exists between a grandparent and grandchild.


The Proudest Blue
written by Ibtihaj Muhammad with S.K. Ali
illustrated by Hatem Aly
If you haven't heard already, this is a beautiful, must-own story.  A story about the power of believing in something, a story about seeing the beautiful in something, a story about family and looking up to your elders, and a story about feeling proud of your own identity.


Graphic Novels


This Was Our Pact
by Ryan Andrews
I enjoyed this fantasy graphic novel.  A group of kids make a pact on an autumn equinox to find out where the floating lanterns float downriver.  No turning for home, no turning back.  Only two follow the pact.  
The rest of the story gets fantastical - parts I enjoyed especially towards the end, parts were a bit out there for me.  
But, this graphic novel seems more deep, more literary than others I have read that I think it would be a good step up on the ladder for some readers.


Stargazing
by Jen Wang
A coming of age and a story about figuring out your identity.  What was interesting was the author's note at the end because she sees herself more in the secondary character, not the character who was telling the story.  Thought it was interesting to see a different person/character telling the author's story.
Christine and Moon are unlikely friends whose differences bring them together... at first.  Different parts of their characters work together and clash at varying parts of the story.
There were some universal themes and events that are easily recognized by this adult reader, I think middle grade readers will understand them, too.

Middle Grade


Nightmares!
by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller
This book has been in the Scholastic Book Fairs and Book Clubs for awhile.  Of course having a celebrity writer helps.  It's always interesting to see what a celebrity comes up with for their stories.  While this one has an interesting plot - looking into our nightmares and the root of them - what disappointed me the most was how the authors deliberately used body shaming words to describe characters, particularly an important secondary character who is a child.  Not cool.  
One of the things I love best about kidlit is how every word has to be chosen so perfectly.  The writing has to be so tight because they don't have the luxury of writing 500+ pages to get to the wrapped up ending like adult books do.  Coming in at 355 pages, this is a book that probably should have 100 less pages because it's so wordy.  
I can see readers who are looking for something scary pick this one up.  


Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky
by Kwame Mbalia
The Rick Riordan Presents imprint keeps putting out amazing stories featuring mythological characters from many representations.  
This particular book made me laugh out loud more than any of the other books (although Aru Shah is a close second).
Tristan Strong is not having a good year.  After being sent to his grandparents' house in Alabama to try and refocus, he ends up being woken up in the middle of the night by a small creature made out of.... sap?  Meet Gum Baby, a character who doesn't mean to be the comic relief, but wow, she has some amazing and hilarious lines!  And if you ever want to know what Gum Baby should sound like, you definitely need to find author Kwame Mbalia at some point and listen to him do a reading of the story!  Anyway, Tristan and Gum Baby find their way to MidPass, an alternative world of African Gods and creatures.  Tristan finds out some important things about himself and fights alongside his storybook heroes.
If you want to hear more about this amazing book, be sure to watch this video where Rick Riordan interviews Kwame Mbalia.

Currently Reading


A Place to Belong
by Cynthia Kadohata
I can see why this book has been longlisted for the National Book Award!  Such an interesting perspective.


Hope you have a fantastic reading week!  Mine has been slow, so much going on this fall.  I'll be taking next week off from blogging as I work on an upcoming NCTE presentation!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 12.18.17

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

Holiday season caught up to me last week and I was not able to post last Monday.  I had only read one book all week (that wasn't going onto another post) and I didn't think that really made up a great IMWAYR post!  Here are some others that went up:

Here are the books that have been in my nonfiction picture book stacks.

Do you have a need for early chapter books or transitional chapter books?  Then you'll want to check out these upcoming books from Candlewick and little bee.


Picture Books


Walk With Me
written by Jairo Buitrago
illustrated by Rafael Yockteng
translated by Elisa Amado
I didn't know where this book was going, but oh, once I figured it out... I had to close it and read it again.


Red Again
by Barbara Lehman
I love how Lehman brought so many characters together.  This book can be read on its own, but it's definitely more fun when you know all of the characters!


The Boy and the Whale
by Mordicai Gerstein
This is a book to use when you want kids to have a debate and really talk about what is in their heart.  A whale is tangled up in a boy and his father's fishing net.  The whale seems to be half dead.  What do you save - your net that brings in food or the whale?


There's a Monster in Your Book
written by Tom Fletcher
illustrated by Greg Abbott
I am a sucker for interactive books.  I think they are great to use with young readers because they laugh and smile and have FUN!  This is one I want to add to my collection.


Fort Building Time
written by Megan Wagner Lloyd
illustrated by Abigail Halpin
I loved this author and illustrator's first collaboration - Finding Wild.  This one I think is even more fun.  Maybe because I loved making forts when I was younger.  Mostly because I could still get lost in the illustrations of these forts!

Graphic Novels


Dog Man and Cat Kid
by Dav Pilkey
I was so happy to see this title in my Scholastic preview box.  I quick read it before passing it along to a reader!  It's another great Dog Man title, this one I think has the most heart of the series.  Regardless, it's going to be another Dog Man story that will be well loved by readers!

Transitional Chapter Books


The Wish List: Keep Calm and Sparkle On!
by Sarah Aronson
What I love the most about these books is how it makes you want to do better.  The wishes in these books always surprise me because they end up being not necessarily the wish the character wants, but the wish the character needs.  With everything going on in today's world, I'm glad there is such a positive and do-good series like this one!  Don't miss it!

Middle Grade


The Infinity Year of Avalon James
by Dana Middleton
Loved this book.  Definitely a heartprint story - friendship, secrets and a touch of magic.

Currently Reading


Six of Crows 
by Leigh Bardugo
This is one of my #mustreadin2017 books.  It's taking me awhile to get into this one.  I've heard amazing things and while I'm starting to enjoy it more, it's not a favorite.  Great writing, just not always capturing my attention.


Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble
by Anna Meriano
I've also started reading this one and I'm really enjoying it even though I haven't gotten too far into it.  I'm thinking this is going to be a fun read to pass along to kids in early 2018!


Be sure to stop by next week and check out my lists of 2017 Favorites!  It was another year of fantastic reads!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 12.04.17

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

I celebrated what I found at the NCTE exhibit hall!  Make sure these books are on your radar:

nonfiction picture books

early readers/transitional chapter books

I will be sharing the middle grade novels I picked up as I read them.  Look for them in my Monday and Thursday posts!


Picture Books


Snow Scene
written by Richard Jackson
illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Guessing game that takes place in the wintry snow.


Waltz of the Snowflakes
by Elly Mackay
I love getting lost in Mackay's worlds!  This time a young girl and boy meet at a performance of The Nutcracker.  Sharing the performance makes them a bit nicer to each other.


Winter Dance
written by Marion Dane Bauer
illustrated by Richard Jones
Absolutely loved this book!  Beautiful story for young readers about what animals do in the winter.

Graphic Novels


Time Shifters
by Chris Grine
I have no doubt your readers who love Greg Grunberg's Dream Jumper series or Ben Hatke's Zita the Spacegirl or Mike Maihack's Cleopatra in Space series will enjoy this book.
I was a little confused by the ending because it seems like it was left open to be a series, but I'm not sure if it is.  This is one graphic novel you really have to pay attention to the characters because readers can easily get confused when the story jumps from the action between the good guys and bad guys.  I wish the transitions were just a bit smoother.

Poetry


I'm Just No Good at Rhyming: And Other Nonsense for Mischievous Kids and Immature Grown-Ups
written by Chris Harris
illustrated by Lane Smith
With a title like that, you know you're going to be laughing at the rest of the book.
The poems are a bit Shel Silverstein and will definitely make readers smile, chuckle and laugh.  Because of the short length of many of them, they will draw in some reluctant readers, and hopefully keep them because of the humor!

Middle Grade


Aru Shah and the End of Time
by Roshani Chokshi
I am so glad I picked this one up at NCTE.  Alerted of the title by Kellee Moye the morning of the signing, I made sure to get to it first thing that morning.  
We all know Rick Riordan and what he has done for introducing mythology to readers.  Riordan himself knows there are many more stories to be told from other cultures, however, he doesn't know enough about these stories to do them justice.  So, in conjunction with his publishing house, Disney-Hyperion, he is starting an imprint to do just that - tell mythology tales from other cultures by authors who know these stories best.  
The first series comes from India.  We meet Aru Shah, a Georgia middle schooler who tells lies in order to try and fit in.  But those lies catch up to her when she tries to impress some schoolmates, and she accidentally lets out The Sleeper, just this mythological demon who is going to wipe out the human race... It's up to Aru to brush up on Indian Culture and Arts 101 and combat this creature!
This book publishes March 27th.  I know there will be a long hold list for this one so make sure you preorder your copies!

Currently Reading


The Wish List: Keep Calm and Sparkle On!
by Sarah Aronson
Can't wait for more adventures with Isabelle, she is such a fun character!


Happy Reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 11.27.17

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.

Two weeks ago's adventures!

I took a week off of blogging so I could spend time with family.  
I've got some great posts coming up this week!  Lots to share from the NCTE expo hall!

Here are the posts from two weeks ago in case you missed them:

Here's a roundup of winter and Christmas stories.

The list of books our students are using for Sibert Smackdown.

The list of books our students are using for Mock Geisel.



Graphic Novels


According to Aggie
written by Mary Richards Beaumont
I picked this up at my Scholastic Book Fair.  I was surprised that it was a graphic novel so I knew it was one I wanted for my library.  It looks like a book that will appeal to my BSC readers.  
It's a cute story about a friendship that starts going in a new direction.  Reminded me quite a bit of Jamieson's Roller Girl.  
I was very disappointed with the lack of diversity within this book.  There are a few characters that are sprinkled into the illustrations or have very minor roles in the book that have different racial backgrounds.  There is no mention of any characters coming from single parent homes, just parents that work full time jobs.
If this is going to be a series, I hope American Girl (the publisher) choses to represent more cultures, races and family representation in their stories.


Middle Grade


Princess Juniper of the Hourglass 
by Ammi-Joan Paquette
Loved meeting Princess Juniper and I'm glad to have two more books in front of me to read.  Juniper is tough, smart and kind.  She welcomes adventure and wants to be a fair and kind ruler.  Which is perfect because she is getting the chance to practice all of this when her father grants her her own kingdom!  Of course figuring out how to lead and do it well is more tricky than she thought.  This first book in the series was a joy to read and I'm looking forward to seeing what she is up to next!


Escape From Aleppo
by N.H. Senzai
review copy from Edelweiss
I read this book on my kindle while I exercised on the bike twice each week, so it's taken me some time to get through it since I had such limited reading time.  Even with reading it in small bursts, I can see what an important and timely book this is.  Senzai takes us into war-torn Aleppo and we follow Nadia as she attempts to escape Aleppo into Turkey in order to be reunited with her family.  Through the use of flashbacks, the reader understands how Nadia's life has changed from being more carefree to one where she can mathematically calculate how far the bombs/gunfire is.  
I really don't know as many details as I should about what is happening in the Middle East.  This helps fill in some gaps.


Wizardmatch
by Lauren Magaziner
publishes March 6, 2018
If you aren't already familiar with Lauren Magaziner and her stories, then you need to change that now!  Magaziner consistently writes books that get kids excited about the stories they are reading.  This one is no exception.  
Lennie comes from a magical family and it's now time for her Poppop to step down and pass on all of his magical powers to one of his grandchildren.  To avoid just selecting by himself, he holds a Wizardmatch for them to compete in and win his powers.  But, this wizardmatch isn't without rules - and discriminatory rules at that.  
This book has so much in it - gender and racial equality, sibling and family rivalry, and fighting for what you want most of all.  Make sure this book is on your preorder!


EngiNerds
by Jarrett Lerner
I try to read all of the books, especially the first in a series, before I put them on my shelves. Since the oldest students in my building are 4th graders, I try to be very careful of the content in middle grade books.  It helps me know what to book talk, but I can also be sure that I'm putting the right books in the right hands.  I'm just sorry I didn't read this book faster.  See I've owned it since it came out.  I'm thinking of all the lost reading weeks.... At least I'll be able to get it into hands as soon as we're back from Thanksgiving Break!  This book is going to be well loved with all middle grade readers.  It's smart, funny, quick, and it's full of engineering!  Can't wait for more in this series!


The Problim Children
by Natalie Lloyd
I read this for the first time a couple of months ago.  I read it so quickly in order to get something done for that particular book.  I enjoyed it, but lost out on getting lost in Natalie's world, her words.
I put it aside for a second read.  This time I knew I would have large chunks of time to read it.  I could read it slowly yet have time to get lost in the world of the Problims and I loved it so much more on this read!  I had time to pour over Natalie's words, and if you are a fan of Natalie Lloyd, then you are a fan in her ability to say something so profound in a perfect sentence.
I have another post coming out closer to The Problim Children's publication on Feb. 6th.  Come back and learn a little more about why you want this book for your readers!


Appleblossom the Possum
by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Animal fantasy stories have never really been my thing, but there are so many young readers out there for them!  Hand this one over to your readers who enjoyed Firefly Hollow or The True Blue Scouts of Sugarcane Swamp.  
I really enjoyed the illustrations by Gary Rosen.  They were reminiscent of Garth Williams' work!

Currently Reading


Aru Shah and the End of Time
by Roshani Chokshi
I am so excited about this new Disney imprint called Rick Riordan presents.  Riordan knows there are many more mythological stories from other cultures and he's found authors to tell them.  This is the first in what will be a quartet.  I'm looking forward to seeing where this adventure takes me!

Happy Reading to All!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 11.13.17

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

I love this time of year when everyone's Mock lists and groups start!  I shared our school's Mock Caldecott list last week.

Needing more nonfiction picture books for your #classroombookaday? Then check out what the favorites are from this 4th grade class.   I also asked students about their opinions and biases of nonfiction reading are.

I hope you've enjoyed the "If You Like This, Try These" series for kids who are on the #road2reading.  Last week was the final post, have you read these transitional chapter books?

Picture Books


Three Balls of Wool (Can Change the World)
written by Henriqueta Cristina
illustrated by Yara Kono
translated by Lyn Miller-Lachmann
If you've been collecting titles about refugees, this will be another one you want to add.  Written generally, but through the notes in the back, you'll see this is a story about Portuguese refugees who fled the country during the late 1960s to find freedom.  It was a hard time to find freedom anywhere, as depicted by this book.  Families had to try and find their own ways to show any kind of individuality.
This book was published in partnership with Amnesty International and has some interesting  letters and notes included in the book.


Take Your Time: A Tale of Harriet, the Galápagos Tortoise
written by Eva Furrow and Donna Jo Napoli
illustrated by Laurel Molk
I'm glad a fellow blogger shared this book because it really is lovely.  I related to this book so much as I rush to try and get everything done.  It all gets done quickly and I feel like I rarely do anything as well as I want, or enjoy what I'm doing to the fullest.
Harriet likes to enjoy life and do things slowly, yet with purpose.  Her friends tell her she is missing all the fast things in life so with some help, Harriet tries a few.  Great discussions about trying new things yet staying true to yourself can be had with this picture book!  Beautiful illustrations by Laurel Molk!


Read the Book, Lemmings!
written by Ame Dyckman
illustrated by Zachariah OHora
This is one of those books that is funnier when you read it out loud.  It's the reactions of the audience that makes you love the book even more.  Silly, illiterate lemmings, who even once  they are taught, find a way to continue to be exasperating!


Middle Grade


R is for Rebel
by J. Anderson Coats
You'll want to have this book on your radar this February.  A historical fantasy, the world building in this book is amazing.  While you can see pieces of history within this book - regimes rising up and taking over, groups being silenced and punished - Coats has created new ruling governments, traditions and cultures.  A book about rising up, staying true to yourself and new leadership.  Will be an interesting read for older middle grade readers.


Wonder Woman at Super Hero High
by Lisa Yee
I've had this book for awhile and the students have seen it in my pile and have grown antsy that I hadn't read it yet.  Any time the characters are in high school I grow a little leary about giving it to 3rd and 4th grade readers.  Never fear, this is a perfect middle grade novel, especially for those who love their Super Heroes!  As someone who does not know a lot about the DC Comics, there were certainly characters I was unfamiliar with, but it didn't stop my understanding of the story.  I really liked this first book in the series and am looking forward to reading and sharing the others!

Currently Reading


Princess Juniper of the Hourglass
by Ammi-Joan Paquette
I'm excited to get back into this one because I've heard such wonderful things about this series.  I got this book as a Christmas present a couple of years ago and started it, but deadlines came up for other things and I never got back to it.  Now it's time!


I'm so excited because some of my favorite weeks of the year are coming up!  This week is is NCTE week and I'm so happy to be catching up with friends I don't often get to see!  NCTE is a conference that rejuvenates me and gets me excited to start the next half of the year.  I can't wait to find some new book titles and talk books with friends!  Are you going to be at NCTE this year?  I hope we run into each other!  I'll be presenting on Friday from 12:30-1:45 in Rooms 120/121.  I'll be presenting along with some of the authors I've been currently spotlighting:  Jennifer Ziegler, J. Anderson Coats, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, Joan Paquette and Lisa Yee.  Stop by!
And then the week after is Thanksgiving Week!  It's one of my favorite weeks because it's filled with family and tradition!
I'll be taking off next week from blogging while I enjoy some family time.  I'll be back the following week with some end of the year posts, including My Favorites from 2017 and what to look forward to in 2018!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 11.06.17

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

We're nearing the end of the year which means we're that much closer to awards season!  Are you up on new early chapter books?  Make sure you've read these!

If you haven't read Nic Stone's Dear Martin, you need to change that now!  Here's the blog tour and be sure to enter the giveaway!

Need nonfiction for your #classroombookaday?  Here are some favorites from third grade!

Do you know about these November and December releases?  Still some good ones coming out in 2017!

Picture Books


I Want to go First
by Richard Byrne
I was so happy to see that this is an interactive book!  I love interactive books and the way they engage readers.  This one has a fun storyline and I know it's going to be well loved.


How Do You Say I Love You, Dewey Dew?
written by Leslie Staub
illustrated by Jeff Mack
Sweet story for young readers.  For the young reader who has trouble with speech, for the young reader who maybe has a different accent, for the young reader who has been made fun of, this is a wonderful read aloud.


Frankenbunny
written by Jill Esbaum
illustrated by Alice Brereton
This weekend all signs of Halloween were erased from the house as the Thanksgiving decorations came out - ok, so there are pumpkins in those too... And just like those pumpkins that can be used with both holidays, this is a book that may look like a Halloween book, but it's one that can be read year round!  It's really a book about being afraid and getting back at your older siblings!  Oh the connections readers will have with this one!


Malala's Magic Pencil
written by Malala Yousafzai
illustrated by Kerascoët
I really didn't know what to expect with this book.  I had heard a lot of praise, but at the same time, I didn't know if it would be too sensationalized.  But you know what, it was just right.  Every word is just right.  I love the message that your words are powerful.


Accident!
by Andrea Tsurumi
Lots of uses for this one - read aloud, cause and effect, verb choice.  So much to look at in this fun book.


Book or Bell?
written by Chris Barton 
illustrated by Ashley Spires
A great book to show the power of reading - when you're so obsessed with reading a book that reality just fades away.  Also use for cause and effect - lots of examples within this book!

Middle Grade


The Many Reflections of Miss Jane Deming
by J. Anderson Coats
Do you have students who just can't get enough historical fiction?  They will LOVE meeting Jane!  And I love that this was a totally different setting for me - the Pacific Northwest when it was still a territory.  This is one of those books that I wasn't ready to say goodbye to the characters, I really think there are more stories to be told about Jane and family :)

Currently Reading


R is for Rebel
by J. Anderson Coats


Happy Fall Reading!