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.

If you go to my Goodreads account, you can see what I have read recently & click on the books to learn more.

Last Week in Books:

Kiki's Delivery Service is a middle grade translation that is just as cute as you might expect if you have ever seen the Miyazaki movie. 

The Paper Boat is a picture book that helps to tell the story of a refugee family making the ocean crossing. It was hard to fully understand the metaphor of the illustrations until I read the author's note. It's fairly powerful even if without totally understanding, but once that is clear it is even more impactful.

Kent State is a young adult graphic novel that pretty much gutted me. It does offer some hope, but honestly, it was really bleak. 

Mind the Gap Dash & Lily was super fun especially after watching the Dash & Lily Netflix series (which I loved). I had read the other two related books previously. 

The rest of the books were adult nonfiction. Women Race & Class was on my #MustReadin2020 list. It was enlightening and confirms to me that I want to read more from Angela Davis. Janesville was also on that list. Since I live in Wi it was interesting, but I wish the author had gotten into some of the racial issues and a few other aspects of the town's history. Otherwise, it was pretty comprehensive. 

Minor Feelings was a fantastic collection of essays that delve into some of the feelings and experiences that the author has had as a result of growing up Korean American/Asian American. It was one I heard about on the Books and Boba podcast (highly recommended).

Secondhand is a very interesting look at the ways that our things move through the world once we donate them. I read this for a book club and am looking forward to the Zoom discussion. 

The Coming Week: 

I'm still reading The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying and I have a few middle grade books from the library - The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise and Keep it Together Keiko Carter. Other than that, I'm not sure what I'll be picking up, but plan to read several more books beyond that as it's winter break. Have a great week of reading!

Reading Challenge Updates: 

Goodreads Challenge 2019 - 583/500

Diversity on the Shelf 2020 - 338/250
Chapter Books 2020 - 230/200

#MustReadin2020 - 31/35
#YARC2020 - 74/55
Muslimshelfspace - 27/30

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.

If you go to my Goodreads account, you can see what I have read recently & click on the books to learn more.

Last Week in Books:

I finished Krik? Krak! this week. It was on my #MustReadin2020 list. It's a collection of related short stories by Edwidge Danticat. It was an emotional read for me. There's a lot of pain in these stories. Survival and family and love too, but a lot of pain.

I did read other books, but didn't make it all of the way through. I am reading another #MustReadin2020 title. This one by Angela Davis - Women Race and Class. The more of her work I read, the more impressed I am. This one is laying out the history of how these three things have been entwined in the U.S. 

The Coming Week: 

I started reading The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. With a bit of a break this week, perhaps I will finish a few more books before my next post. I have The Summer of Everything through Overdrive and I just now got access to the Mind the Gap Dash and Lily. I may watch the series over break. I am also working my way through Star Wars: The Jedi Mind. I have my next #MustReadin2020 book too -- Janesville. We finished watching The Mandalorian and have considered watching the 9 major Star Wars movies over break. Not sure if I want to commit to that or not.  It would put a big dent in my reading time. I wish you a great week!  

Reading Challenge Updates: 

Goodreads Challenge 2019 - 575/500

Diversity on the Shelf 2020 - 335/250
Chapter Books 2020 - 225/200

#MustReadin2020 - 29/36
#YARC2020 - 71/55
Muslimshelfspace - 27/30

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.

If you go to my Goodreads account, you can see what I have read recently & click on the books to learn more.

Blog Information:

End of the Year Giveaway & Hiatus

Last Week in Books:

Picture books this week were great. I read I Talk Like a River via audio. From the cover image it looks like the illustrations are wonderful. I appreciated the audio because it is narrated by the author and the book is about the way his stutter is part of him.

Perdu is about a lonely and lost dog that is wandering and looking for a place to belong. 

Pokko and the Drum is really unique and is very celebratory and fun as the main character goes on a drumming adventure. 

Tiara's Hat Parade is a lovely book about a mother and daughter and the hat shop they adore. They have to close the shop due to finances. It strikes me that this is a timely book. 

I read three middle grade novels. The Sea in Winter was beautiful. A young dancer has an injury that has changed her life drastically. Her parents are Native and through the story, she learns more of the history of where she lives. The book is focused in closely on how she is dealing with loss and how her ancestors did too.

Ciel is about an nonbinary trans person beginning freshman year of high school. It's a story of self-identity, friendship, changing relationships and daily life as a young person. 

The Girl Who Stole an Elephant is one of just a few books I've read that is set in Sri Lanka. It's a fun adventure type book. I will likely do a longer review later on Goodreads. It's a bit of a Robin Hood type of story so the ethics are something to think about. 

This Train is Being Held is a contemporary YA romance that was on the serious side. I think they were going for a Romeo & Juliet type of story. 

The Perfect Escape was also a contemporary YA romance, but had a lot more humor and light-heartedness--also zombies. 

Healing Rage is an interesting look at rage and offers many practical options for healing. I read all the way through first and now and going back through and doing the journal activities.

I also read two adult romances. Boyfriend Material was a page turner. It was also hilarious and was simply a lot of fun. I stayed up way to late reading. 

The Princess Theory was another rom-com and it was cute.

The Coming Week: 

I started reading Women, Race & Class, which is on my MustReadin2020 list, and a friend gave me Star Wars: The Jedi Mind so I'll work on those. I will likely do some re-reading this week. I wish you great reading ahead.

Reading Challenge Updates: 

Goodreads Challenge 2019 - 573/500

Diversity on the Shelf 2020 - 333/250
Chapter Books 2020 - 224/200

#MustReadin2020 - 28/36
#YARC2020 - 71/55
Muslimshelfspace - 27/30

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.

If you go to my Goodreads account, you can see what I have read recently & click on the books to learn more.

Recent Blog Posts:

My 2020 YA Favorites - Rich in Color

2020 Graphic Novel Recommendations

Last Week in Books:

Rent a Boyfriend was a fun romp. I've always been a sucker for fake relationship stories. I listened to it since the audio was available sooner than the hardcover at my library. 

I was excited to get my hands on The Thirty Names of Night since it is by the author of The Map of Salt and Stars which I loved. Like Zeyn Joukhadar's first book, this one flips back and forth from one time to another. There is also a touch of the magical to it. The main character is in his upper twenties so it isn't YA, but it felt a little bit like a young adult story to me and I really enjoyed it.

Pride was a little bit of a re-read. Robin Stevenson has put out a revised edition of a middle grade nonfiction history of Pride that had been published in 2016. This version has more voices from young people and while the previous edition was inclusive, this one was even more so. It's an excellent overview for young people. 

I listened to the audiobook The Fountains of Silence. Ruta Sepetys is so good at telling a story. I have given every single one of her books five stars. Most of this story happens in Madrid while Franco was in power. It's a part of history that doesn't get much attention in US high schools so many people don't know much about it and how the US was involved. Historical fiction is a great way to learn more about our past. 

I spent most of today reading An Ember in the Ashes. It was a heart-wrenching, but satisfying conclusion to the four book fantasy series. Sabaa Tahir certainly knows how to get tears out of me. 

The Coming Week: 

I am currently reading Healing Rage by Ruth King and Together Apart (YA collection of love stories in the time of COVID-19). I have a few ARCs I need to get to, but I may just keep reading books that strike my fancy. I wish you a week filled with excellent reading!

Reading Challenge Updates: 

Goodreads Challenge 2019 - 559/500

Diversity on the Shelf 2020 - 325/250
Chapter Books 2020 - 215/200

#MustReadin2020 - 28/36
#YARC2020 - 70/55
Muslimshelfspace - 27/30

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.

If you go to my Goodreads account, you can see what I have read recently & click on the books to learn more.

Last Week in Books:

For relaxation over break, I read quite a few romances. The Worst Best Man was my favorite of the bunch with The Happy Ever After Playlist a close second. I almost didn't keep reading 99 Percent Mine. It was okay, but had issues. 

I read two YA books. The Suprising Power of a Good Dumpling dealt with mental health issues and was more serious than I expected. I enjoyed it as a family story with a bit of romance. It was one of  K-pop Confidential was a good look into the world of K-pop much like in Shine by Jessica Jung. The storylines are different and are both worth reading, but this just also points out some of the high pressure of the training for K-pop personalities. 

I also finished the adult nonfiction collection Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Davis. This is a collection of speeches that she has delivered over the years. It is truly interesting to see the many connections between these movements and causes that are truly all working toward full freedom. 

The Coming Week: 

I'm listening to The Fountains of Silence and just started reading The Thirty Names of Night. I have a few other audio books on deck, but am not sure what else I will get to this week. I wish you excellent reading!

Reading Challenge Updates: 

Goodreads Challenge 2019 - 553/500

Diversity on the Shelf 2020 - 323/250
Chapter Books 2020 - 211/200

#MustReadin2020 - 28/36
#YARC2020 - 69/55
Muslimshelfspace - 26/30

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.

If you go to my Goodreads account, you can see what I have read recently & click on the books to learn more.

Last Week in Books:

This weekend I noticed that I have now read 56 romances this year. That's double the amount I read last year and I still have a month to go. This is definitely a sign of stress since those are my escapist reads. I read another two adult romances this weekend. Loathe at First Sight had humorous moments in spite of the serious amounts of misogyny and hatred shown to the main character as she begins her career in the gaming industry. It was a rather tame romance compared to Get a Life Chloe Brown. Chloe also experiences quite a bit of humor, but has a much more steamy relationship. I enjoyed both, but Chloe was my favorite of the two for the story yes, but also because I haven't read many romances that feature a main character with a disability. I can't promise that it is done perfectly since I don't live that experience, but it was good to see.

Two of the YA graphic novels were phenomenal. Displacement is a look at the Japanese internment experience of the main character's grandmother. She is whisked back in time and she sees what her family had to go through. It also deals with how trauma can affect future generations. The Magic Fish is also an immigrant story with another unique story framework. Tiến and his mother share folktales that mirror events and emotions from their own lives. Tattercoats is one of my favorite fairytales and it is featured here as you see on the cover with the patch on his jacket. Several other tales are woven throughout and the illustrations are magnificent. Snotgirl was gorgeous, but the storyline wasn't exactly my cup of tea. It was a feast for my eyes though. 

Lupe Wong Won't Dance is a great middle grade novel. Lupe vehemently opposes participating in the square dance unit in her PE classes. She needs an A though to earn a reward her uncle has promised. It's painful watching the lengths she will go to trying to get rid of the unit. There is humor and a great friendship story here along with a little baseball. 

The two picture books were nice. What Sound is Morning? is poetic and Waiting Together is sweet, but I'm not sure I will remember then two weeks from now if I'm being honest. That may be more of a commentary about my lack of concentration than the quality of the books though. Who knows? 

The Coming Week: 

I've made some progress with the Angela Davis book I'm reading. The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling and K-Pop Confidential are up next. I will likely get a few new books to support an indie bookstore this week. I wish you a lovely week of reading.

Reading Challenge Updates: 

Goodreads Challenge 2019 - 546/500

Diversity on the Shelf 2020 - 317/250
Chapter Books 2020 - 204/200

#MustReadin2020 - 27/36
#YARC2020 - 67/55
Muslimshelfspace - 26/30

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.

If you go to my Goodreads account, you can see what I have read recently & click on the books to learn more.

Last Week in Books:

Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots is a light-hearted way to have a discussion around facts & opinions. I will be buying this one because it's pretty fun. 

Ready to Fly: How Sylvia Townsend Became the Bookmobile Ballerina is a quick picture book biography of a young Black girl who wanted to dance so badly, that she began to teach herself how using books from the bookmobile. 

The House at the End of the Road is a lovely story of some young people and their relationship with an elderly gentleman down the road. 

Zero Local is a wordless book and shows some people spreading kindness in their community.

Where is the Sun? is a cute Eric Carle book, but once again the science isn't quite right and that annoys me a bit. It speaks of the sun moving in the sky. I guess I don't need a book to teach science, but the sentences that imply that the sun is doing all of the moving didn't have to be in the book. It wasn't necessary for the story, so why have incorrect things in there? The Hungry Caterpillar had a cocoon (moths) instead of a chrysalis (butterflies) and it seems minor, but un-teaching things is almost harder than teaching them. Sorry about the rant.

The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane was a nice middle grade about friendship and family. What makes it stick in my memory is that there is a road trip. I tend to like road trip books. 

Raybearer is the beginning book in a fantasy series. It was unique and fun and was a distraction from general life stress.

Suggested Reading is a book about some students in a private high school that are trying to get around the censorship of certain books. One of the characters even starts a subversive hidden library of banned books. 

Born to Fly was a winner for me for a few reasons. I always had a fascination with flight as a child. We had flown commercially multiple times when I was in elementary school and then I got to have a ride in a private plane several times too. I remember writing my first major biography report on Amelia Earhardt. I have also loved every single book Sheinkin has written. His narrative nonfiction is excellent. 

Recipe for Persuasion is an adult romance that was loosely based on Austen's Persuasion. It was a nice read, but I enjoyed the first in the series more. It had been based on Pride and Prejudice. 

A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow was a delightful YA romance. I love books involving food and tea was a bonus. With 2020 being what it is, I have been on the hunt for books that make me smile and this one sure did.

I finally finished How to Be Remy Cameron. It was digital and I was reading it on my phone, but I am not a fan of that format so I read it in bite sized pieces over two weeks. It was a humorous YA with some romance and a young man trying to figure himself out.

The Coming Week: I'm still reading Freedom is a Constant Struggle. I'm not sure what else I will be picking up. Fortunately, there is nothing that I have to read for any particular task this week so I am free to choose something fun and I'll likely look for romances. Happy reading!

Reading Challenge Updates: 

Goodreads Challenge 2019 - 538/500

Diversity on the Shelf 2020 - 311/250
Chapter Books 2020 - 200/200

#MustReadin2020 - 27/36
#YARC2020 - 64/55
Muslimshelfspace - 26/30

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.

If you go to my Goodreads account, you can see what I have read recently & click on the books to learn more.

Last Week on the Blog: 

Review of The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person

Last Week in Books:

Too many to count, but I really enjoyed the YA books Born to Fly and Raybearer and The Mental Load which is a graphic novel for adults. 

During the stress of the election, I found that picture books were just the thing for those times when my brain felt too scattered for heavier or lengthier texts so I read quite a few of those. I read the longer books over this weekend when I felt my stress level drop significantly. 

The Coming Week: I'm still reading Freedom is a Constant Struggle and How to Be Remy Cameron. I have a committee meeting next week and am trying to read as many kidlit novels as possible between now and then so those should keep me busy. Happy reading!

Reading Challenge Updates: 

Goodreads Challenge 2019 - 530/500

Diversity on the Shelf 2020 - 308/250
Chapter Books 2020 - 196/200

#MustReadin2020 - 27/36
#YARC2020 - 63/55
Muslimshelfspace - 26/30

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.

If you go to my Goodreads account, you can see what I have read recently & click on the books to learn more.

Last Week in Books:

Picture Books

Shubh Diwali is a beautiful book about a family and how they celebrate Diwali.

Bunbun & Bonbon: Fancy Friends is a super fun and silly brief graphic novel about a bunny and a piece of candy and the beginning of their friendship. 

Early chapter books & Middle Grade

Lost in the Tunnel of Time is an early chapter book series. I didn't realize that at the time so I will need to go back and read the first one in the series. It was a fun adventure that involved the history of the underground railroad in the children's community. 

Twins is a fantastic graphic novel about twins who are beginning to spread their wings (willingly and unwillingly) and seem to be growing apart. It's great realistic fiction and I know many readers will love it. 

Three Keys was just as enthralling as the first book Kelly Yang wrote about a family with a motel. This book dealt even more with immigration and activism. 

Young Adult

Flamer is an excellent and powerful graphic novel about a young man at camp who is learning about himself and moving towards acceptance. 

Shine is a rom-com about a rising k-pop star and is written by the former lead of a k-pop group called Girls Generation. 

The Coming Week: 

This past week was quite an interesting one. We went back to face-to-face learning on Monday. On Wed. afternoon, we were informed that we would be back to completely virtual learning on the following Monday. That experiment lasted one week. Our community numbers are rising and we also had students and/or student family members test positive during this week of in person learning. It was nice to see students in person, but it sure didn't last long. 

Because we had our "first" day of school and our "last" day of school all in one week and had to adjust to the new schedule it was quite stressful. This week, academic stress should be less, but election stress is amping up. 

I will likely be looking for books that will make me smile. I just started How to Be Remy Cameron and am reading Freedom is a Constant Struggle. I wish you all a great week!

Reading Challenge Updates: 

Goodreads Challenge 2019 - 506/500

Diversity on the Shelf 2020 - 299/250
Chapter Books 2020 - 191/200

#MustReadin2020 - 27/36
#YARC2020 - 63/55
Muslimshelfspace - 26/30

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.

If you go to my Goodreads account, you can see what I have read recently & click on the books to learn more.

Last Week in Books:

The Joyful Book wasn't my favorite Todd Parr book, but it was okay. I really enjoyed Sunflower Lion. It's clever and Henkes made a picture book a chapter book. I think that was fun. Gurple and Preen was just as silly and fun as I had anticipated. The Oboe Goes Boom Boom Boom is a creative way to add some humor to learning about the instruments. Nina Soni Sister Fixer was a cute sibling early chapter book. I liked the first Nina Soni book better, but this one was still nice. Joey is a picture book biography of Joe Biden that is pretty glowing, but it really spends a lot of time on his childhood and it was nice to find out more about that part of his life. The Wedding Party was another hilarious romance from Jasmine Guillory and I needed that escapism after finding out we had three two school days to prepare to go back face to face. Eek. Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice was actually written and in the publishing process prior to her becoming the VP pick for Biden. It is certainly timely. I liked the emphasis again on the younger years in this picture book biography. Land of Cranes is a middle grade novel in verse about a family that has been separated due to immigration complications. The young girl and her mother are essentially in a cage near the border and the father has been deported already. It's hard to read knowing there are children right now who are not with their families. From You to Me is a middle grade novel that deals with grief in a family and also friendship and more. I'm writing quickly and heading to bed before what feels like the first day of school. It's exciting and nerve wracking just like first days always are, but there's an extra level of stress. It's will be an interesting week. 

The Coming Week: 

I started reading Three Keys (loving it) and am still reading The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde. Have a great week!

Reading Challenge Updates: 

Goodreads Challenge 2019 - 498/500

Diversity on the Shelf 2020 - 294/250
Chapter Books 2020 - 188/200

#MustReadin2020 - 28/36
#YARC2020 - 60/55
Muslimshelfspace - 26/30

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.

If you go to my Goodreads account, you can see what I have read recently & click on the books to learn more.

Last week on the blogs:

Review: The Ninth Night of Hanukkah

Last Week in Books:

My Brother the Duck is a humorous story, but the illustrations weren't my favorite. Best Friend in the Whole World is sweet and teaches a bit about empathy along with friendship. Not 'til Tomorrow Phoebe is a cute story about how hard it is to wait. Those three were nice, but the stand-outs were definitely All Because You Matter and Evelyn del Ray is Moving Away. All Because You Matter is simply beautiful and Evelyn is a book about friendship that will make folks smile. Besides, I haven't met a Meg Medina book that I haven't liked.

The Barren Grounds by David A. Robertson was a treat. It is obviously giving nods to Narnia, but is still distinct as a portal fantasy. The main characters are Indigenous with one who is in touch with his culture and the other who has been cut off from her family and history so long she doesn't know her past. It's beautiful and I can't wait for the rest of the series.

Chirp by Kate Messner is a fantastic middle grade book. It deals with quite a few things, but the thing that really makes it stand out is how it deals with consent. I really appreciated the book and so wish that it had been around when I was in elementary school. It may have helped me. 

The Boys in the Back Row was a delight. The boys are band geeks and Mike Jung made me laugh and cry.

I was also excited to have a Jasmine Guillory book for Friday night. Her books always make me laugh and smile and Party of Two was no exception. Her romances are hilarious and a bit steamy. 

The Coming Week: 

I started listening to Charming as a Verb. I'm also reading The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde. Have a great week!

Reading Challenge Updates: 

Goodreads Challenge 2019 - 484/500

Diversity on the Shelf 2020 - 284/250
Chapter Books 2020 - 181/200

#MustReadin2020 - 28/36
#YARC2020 - 60/55
Muslimshelfspace - 26/30

Book Review: The Ninth Night of Hanukkah

 

Title: The Ninth Night of Hanukkah

Author: Erica Perl

Illustrator: Shahar Kober

Publisher: Sterling Children's Books

Review copy: Final copy via publisher

Availability: On shelves now

Summary: It’s Hanukkah, and Max and Rachel are excited to light the menorah in their family’s new apartment. But, unfortunately, their Hanukkah box is missing. So now they have no menorah, candles, dreidels, or, well, anything! Luckily, their neighbors are happy to help, offering thoughtful and often humorous stand-in items each night. And then, just as Hanukkah is about to end, Max and Rachel, inspired by the shamash (“helper”) candle, have a brilliant idea: they’re going to celebrate the Ninth Night of Hanukkah as a way to say thanks to everyone who’s helped them!

This book is not only a heartwarming and fun story, it’s also an invitation to join in a beautiful new Hanukkah tradition!

Review: I love the unique take this book has on the holiday. I've often read or heard about the story of the Maccabbean soldiers and the miracle of the oil that burned for eight nights, but hadn't really thought much about the shamash candle. I'm not Jewish, but really appreciated this focus on helping and appreciation for the helpers in our lives. This certainly seems like a book that Jewish families could enjoy, but any family can connect with being helpers and thanking or honoring those who have helped us. This is a story that has the warmth of family, community, and sharing and it feels like a warm hug. I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for books about Hanukkah, but also for those wanting books about kindness, helpfulness, community, and appreciating those "who help heal the world."

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.

If you go to my Goodreads account, you can see what I have read recently & click on the books to learn more.

Last week on the blogs:

Group Discussion--Punching the Air

Rich in Color

 

 Book Review: Super Fake Love Song by David Yoon

Rich in Color

Last Week in Books:

I had the good fortune to see Mitali Perkins read Between Us and Abuela online Monday evening for a library event. The following night, I was able to attend Mike Jung's launch party for The Boys in the Back Row. It was a fantastic experience and you can enjoy a taste of it by watching the music video that we got to see. 

My favorite of the week was Take the Mic: Fictional Stories of Everyday Resistance. Many of the stories were awesome and the one by editor Bethany Morrow just keeps bouncing around in my head. 

I shared Yasmin the Soccer Star with 5th grade because we are going to be meeting virtually with Saadia Faruqi later this month. I have just finished reading her two middle grade books myself and will share portions of A Thousand Questions with my students over the next few class meetings so they can ask some good questions when they see her.

The Wrong Mr. Darcy was an adult rom-com, but it was just meh so if you're looking for a rom-com, I'd recommend the YA above Super Fake Love Song instead.

The Boy with the Butterfly Mind was very interesting, but stressful. It was a dual perspective, but it was difficult being in their minds since they were going through a lot.

Unpresidented is a biography of Donald Trump. It didn't give me a whole lot of new information, but I did learn a few things and was reminded of some things. It was not a terribly enjoyable read, but that was simply because of the topic, not the writing.

I Believe I Can is a nice gentle and inspirational picture book that brought a smile to my face.

Here are the books I've been sharing with students in Sept. and Oct.

The Coming Week: 

I have finally started The Barren Grounds and am really enjoying it. Have a great week filled with reading.

Reading Challenge Updates: 

Goodreads Challenge 2019 - 474/500

Diversity on the Shelf 2020 - 282/250
Chapter Books 2020 - 179/200

#MustReadin2020 - 28/36
#YARC2020 - 59/55
Muslimshelfspace - 26/30