It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It's a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now...you just might discover your next “must-read” book!

Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children's literature - picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit - join us! We love this meme and think you will, too. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

Last Week on the Blog: 

The Diverse Books Tag

Native American Heritage Month at Rich in Color

Celebrating My Family

Last Week in Books:

Years ago a friend started her Happiness Project and blog simultaneously. Ever since, I have had The Happiness Project on my TBR. I finally read it and did find some great questions to ponder and came up with a few activities/goals I'd like to accomplish. It's a breezy read since she writes very conversationally. It's got me back to journaling. It was a good book to read right before the whole New Year resolution season.

Being Jazz has been on my list or a while. I listened to the audio and appreciated hearing Jazz's story of being a transgender girl and the road to becoming an advocate for transgender children and teens.

The Underground Railroad won the National Book Award for fiction this year. The story was extremely intense and is one I'd recommend. It wasn't an easy book to read, but it was definitely powerful.

On a lighter note, Marisol McDonald and the Monster  was a fun picture book. Marisol is back in this third book to show us that monsters can be scary, but we can face our fears and conquer them.

Chukfi Rabbit's Big Bad Bellyache: A Trickster Tale is a cute story about a lazy rabbit who manages to eat more than his fair share.

The Coming Week:
I have been trying to get to more of my #MustReadin2016 books so I have a few of those on my pile this week: Soul Enchilada, With or Without You and Freaks and Revelations.

Reading Challenge Updates:

Goodreads Challenge - 533/550

Diversity on the Shelf 2016 - 238/225 (goal = 50% of my books by and/or about POC)

LGBTQIA Challenge - 34/31

ReadPOC Challenge - 165/125

#MustReadin2016 - 32/54

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge - 88/100

Around the World with Books 2016

Celebrate

Ruth Ayres has a link-up on weekends where people link to posts that are celebrations about their week. I love this reminder to celebrate every week.

This week I celebrate my family. My two adult children were home this week and seeing them always makes my heart happy. Our exchange student has been with us for more than 100 days and we still have her for two more months. She's been a joy. My husband of 26 years is also a blessing. To be together eating, laughing, and simply having time together is something to celebrate.

I'm going to leave that thought here and go talk to my family.

Diverse Books Tag

The Rules (as stated by Naz)

1. Credit the original creator, Read Diverse Books.
2. The Diverse Books Tag is a bit like a scavenger hunt. I will task you to find a book that fits a specific criteria and you will have to show us a book you have read or want to read.
3. If you can’t think of a book that fits the specific category, then I encourage you to go look for one. A quick Google search will provide you with many books that will fit the bill. (Also, Goodreads lists are your friends.) Find one you are genuinely interested in reading and move on to the next category.

Everyone can do this tag, even people who don’t own or haven’t read any books that fit the descriptions below. So there’s no excuse! The purpose of the tag is to promote the kinds of books that may not get a lot of attention in the book blogging community.

**This started way back in May, but I just found out about it yesterday. It was fun to go on a hunt for the books. I'm only posting books I've already read and enjoyed. Along the way I did add a few books to my TBR though.

A book starring a lesbian character.

Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan

A book with a Muslim protagonist.

 Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed

A book set in Latin America.

Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent by Eduardo Galeano

A book about a person with a disability.

 

Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis

Science-Fiction or Fantasy book with a POC protagonist.

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

A book set in (or about) any country in Africa.

Purple Hibiscus by Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie

A book written by an Indigenous or Native author.

If I Ever Get Out of Here by Eric Gansworth

A book set in South Asia

A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman

A book with a biracial protagonist.

Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings by Margarita Engle

A book starring a transgender character or about transgender issues.

Lizard Radio by Pat Schmatz

 

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It's a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now...you just might discover your next “must-read” book!

Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children's literature - picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit - join us! We love this meme and think you will, too. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

Last Week on the Blog: 

 Celebrating Lauren Castillo

Last Week in Books: 

March Book Three won the National Book Award last week so of course I needed to grab that one and finish out the series. It's another powerful look at the civil rights movement. I love that teens have access to a first-hand account in a graphic novel format.

1 Big Salad is a fun counting book that uses doodles over photos of food items to create fun creatures. It reminded me of some of Debbie Ohi's doodles.

Juana and Lucas is an early chapter by the same author as 1 Big Salad. The design of the book is super fun. Juana Medina uses a wide variety of text features. The fonts are used in many fun ways. She also strays from simply using paragraphs. It's eye appealing along with an engaging main character.

Before Morning is a gorgeous book. The poem is lovely too. It's quiet, hopeful, and joyous.

The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles is beautiful and touching. He is a lonely guy, but manages to connect with people in the end.

Real Cowboys has some nice illustrations and I liked how it pushed against some of the stereotypes of cowboys. It's a cool looking book for the most part. I'm not keen on the use of red, yellow, and brown to show variety of skin color though. They went with the color scheme, but not so much with actual skin tones. The red and yellow were particularly jarring.

The Secret of a Heart Note was a sweet, fairly light romance that will be published at the end of December. It would be great holiday reading. I will have a review up on Rich in Color next week.

We Are Okay isn't out until February. I loved it with a lot of love. The cover art is gorgeous. The story got me right in the heart. There were tears.

I really appreciated learning the history in Lion Island. The poetry didn't sing to me as much as her work usually does, but I may have been reading too quickly to truly hear the melody.

The Invisible Boy is a fantastic picture book that deals with bullying in a glancing sort of way, but mostly with how some children can get overlooked. I shared this one with several classes this past week as we talked about kindness and how to make our school a welcoming place for all.

The Sun is Also a Star was a lovely escape from daily life (and the news). It deals with some heavy topics, but is also light and airy at times. It made me smile. K. Imani wrote a great review on Friday over at Rich in Color.

I'm looking for books to use for our Mock Pura Belpré and so I grabbed A Charmed Life. It's a picture book about a young girl who goes with her mother to work. Her mother cleans a very fancy house. The owner is an Irish immigrant and the girl and owner are able to connect over some of their shared experiences. It feels a little teachy, but is nice if you are looking for more books about immigrants.

Panda Pants cracked me up. The little panda is determined to wear pants. It would go well with Naked Mole Rat by Willems.

Cloud and Wallfish was a look into East Berlin back when there was still a wall. The history was interesting, but I found the characters to be even more so. Here is a quote form the author's note that I appreciated especially given what's been happening on FB regarding news.

The Coming Week:
I'm still reading books in my search for the Mock Pura Belpré. I should also grab a few more books from my #MustReadin2016 list. I'm not sure what I'll be reading, but I will also be busy with family and friends so it may not be much. Have a great week!

Reading Challenge Updates:

Goodreads Challenge - 528/550

Diversity on the Shelf 2016 - 236/225 (goal = 50% of my books by and/or about POC)

LGBTQIA Challenge - 33/31

ReadPOC Challenge - 162/125

#MustReadin2016 - 31/54

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge - 87/100

Around the World with Books 2016

Celebrate!

Ruth Ayres has a link-up on weekends where people link to posts that are celebrations about their week. I love this reminder to celebrate every week.

This week I'm celebrating Lauren Castillo. I was able to meet her at NerdcampMI over the summer. She's super sweet and fun too. Following her on Twitter is a good idea because she will make you smile.

This year her books were part of the author study for Global Read Aloud. We didn't do so well with the global part - though we did participate in some padlets from other schools. We did a wonderful job with the Read Aloud part though. I love her artwork and have enjoyed the books she's authored too. We read Nana in the City, The Troublemaker, The Reader, Yard Sale, Twenty Yawns, and It is Not Time for Sleeping.

My kindergarten and first grade students really got to learn a lot about illustration and the design of picture books during this study. I'm so glad Global Read Aloud inspired us to spend so much time with Lauren Castillo's books. A huge thank you goes to Pernille Ripp for organizing such a great program that gets teachers and students excited to read and share.

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. Cover images via Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

Last Week in Books:

I am exhausted. This past week has been emotionally draining. I am concerned about our country's future. One of the ways I have been finding peace has been reading. The books above have brought laughter, smiles, and sometimes they have simply helped me escape. I'm not going to explain them all because - exhaustion.

This Week in Books:

I'm reading The Sun is Also a Star and Cloud and Wallfish. I also hope to start Stacey Lee's The Secret of a Heart Note. I wish you a wonderful week filled with great books.

Reading Challenge Updates:

Goodreads Challenge - 514/550

Diversity on the Shelf 2016 - 230/225 (goal = 50% of my books by and/or about POC)

LGBTQIA Challenge - 32/31

ReadPOC Challenge - 156/125

#MustReadin2016 - 31/54

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge - 85/100

Around the World with Books 2016

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. Cover images via Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

Last Week on the Blog: 

NFPB Challenge - Are You an Echo?

Review of Lucy and Linh at Rich in Color

Author Interview with Sonia Patel at Rich in Color

Last Week in Books:

Some Writer! is simply fabulous and is a must read biography. Barefoot Gen: The Day After was recommended by Sonia Patel and is a heartbreaking account of the day after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. The author was a child and witnessed it firsthand. This was a very difficult book to read.

We (me and my kindergarten and first grade students) enjoyed our latest Lauren Castillo books It Is Not Time for Sleeping and Happy Like Soccer as part of the Global Read Aloud. The Storyteller has some very unique art work. Steamboat School was an interesting look into history. The Problem with Being Slightly Heroic is a fun middle grade sequel to The Grand Plan to Fix Everything. 

Lucy and Linh was a great contemporary young adult book and As Time Went By was a strange little book, but nice. 

This Week in Books:

I'm reading the newest Grace Lin book and am loving it. I just got quite a few books in from the library so am looking forward to reading the graphic novel Snow White and Beholding Bee also. I wish you a great week full of reading.

Reading Challenge Updates:

Goodreads Challenge - 501/550

Diversity on the Shelf 2016 - 225/225 (goal = 50% of my books by and/or about POC)

LGBTQIA Challenge - 32/31

ReadPOC Challenge - 152/125

#MustReadin2016 - 30/54

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge - 85/100

Around the World with Books 2016

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge - Are You an Echo?

Alyson Beecher over at Kid Lit Frenzy hosts a Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge and has a roundup every Wednesday. I love the encouragement to explore more nonfiction. My plan is to read at least 100 nonfiction picture books this year. So far I've read 84.

Today I want to highlight an incredible new book. Betsy Bird wrote a very thorough review that led me to purchase the book.  I am so glad she wrote that review so I could get to know this book and Misuzu Kaneko. I hope her review also convinces you.

Are You an Echo? The Lost Poetry of Misuzu Kaneko is a fascinating book that had me reeling. It's beautiful in both illustration and in the narrative and poetry. It's also unique. It's part biography and part poetry anthology. The first part of the book is a picture book biography, but when the narrative author David Jacobson describes Misuzu Kaneko he uses her own poetry to help tell about her. He knows Japanese, but there were two translators, Sally Ito and Michiko Tsuboi, who also worked to make Kaneko's poems accessible to readers who would need the poetry to be in English. I don't know if the translations are accurate, but the poems spoke clearly and beautifully to me.

The biography portion of the book is moving and powerful as readers get to know Kaneko and then learn about the difficulties she faced in her married life. Suicide is not something that is dealt with often in picture books, but Jacobson told about this aspect of her life. We often seek to protect children from the ugliness and pain in the world, but Jacobson has included this in a way that honors the truth without making the book become focused on that one aspect of her life.

The illustrations of Toshikado Hajiri are warm and inviting. There are moments when I see glimpses of manga type facial features, but there are also more traditional nature scenes that are simply gorgeous. 

To see some of the interior pages and to learn more about Kaneko, visit the website for the book.

Here's Janet Wong's interview with the narrative author David Jacobson and one of the translators, Sally Ito.

Here's Julie Danielson's Q&A with David Jacobson.

Here are some of Kaneko's poems included in the book.