It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. Jen Vincent over at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye from Unleashing Readers decided to put a children's and YA spin on it and they invite anyone with an interest to join in. You can participate by creating your post then visit one of their sites to add your site. Finally, visit at least three participant blogs and comment to spread the love.

If you want to know more about what I am reading, visit me at my Goodreads shelf. Images via Goodreads unless otherwise noted.  

Books I Reviewed Last Week

Twenty-two Cents: Muhammad Yunus and the Village Bank 

Written by Paula Yoo & Illustrated by Jamel Akib

How to Behave at a Tea Party 

Written by Madelyn Rosenberg & Illustrated by Heather Ross

X  Written by Ilyasah Shabazz with Kekla Magoon

Books I Read Last Week:

Not a Buzz to Be Found was a great read aloud with my first grade students. I have often wondered about where all the bugs go when it's too cold outside. A Really Good Brown Girl is a fantastic collection of poetry by Marilyn Dumont. I explained it this way on Goodreads - There are poems here that are hard to read because of subject matter and then there are some that are difficult because I may not have the context, but this was a collection that can stir up emotions and is worth the time and effort. I like how it is explained on the back of the book. Beth Cuthland writes, "These are Indian poems, Canadian poems, human poems." 

Gracefully Grayson got tears out of me. I'm thankful that there are more and more books that are addressing the trans experience. It's great to have a middle grade book like this available. 

I also read Feeding the Young Athlete, A Moose Boosh, and Alice Waters and the Trip to Delicious.  They are all from the publisher Readers to Eaters. I'll review those on Wednesday - at least that's the plan. :)

Around the Bloc: My Life in Moscow, Beijing, and Havana was an interesting read. I started it in Monterey Bay when I was waiting to meet up with my family. I ended up being distracted by a migrating whale in the bay and didn't get a lot of reading done that day. I enjoyed the book for the most part. It was a travel memoir and I almost always enjoy those. Readers get to experience the countries vicariously, but seeing travelers being changed by their visits is also intriguing.

Finally, I finished the audio version of The Joy Luck Club. With so many main characters, (four mothers and four daughters), I had a hard time keeping track of the stories for a good portion of the book, but I think I got it by the end. I had to check the characters in Spark Notes at one point. I enjoyed it overall though.

The Coming Week:

I just started the audio book M is for Magic. I love it when I get to hear Neil Gaiman read. I also started The Elements of Style. I have so many reviews that I need to write that I think I will mostly be re-reading this week as I get to work on those. Have a great week!