It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop hosted by Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. 

This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how it offers opportunities to share and recommend books with each other. The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts. 

It has been quite a while since I have participated in #IMWAYR. Once I was out of the habit, it has been very difficult to get started again. This is me giving it another go and hoping for the best. :)

If you want to know more about what I am reading, visit me at CrystalReading over on StoryGraph. I'm happy to have more friends there if you want to connect. 

Last week: 

The Blue House I Loved is a fantastic new picture book by Kao Kalia Yang illustrated by Jen Shin (out Feb. 10th). It's unique and I reviewed it here. It takes place in St. Paul so if you are interested in supporting an author in the Twin Cities right now, this is a good one to purchase. Also, here is an essay she wrote recently about recent events in MN and how they are affecting her and her family. 

I also reviewed a fun early reader, Rafi and Rosi Menu by Lulu Delacre, that celebrates Puerto Rican food here. It has recipes in the back and I am always a fan of pairing food and books. 

Another picture book that I read recently is The Library in the Woods by Calvin Alexander Ramsey illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. It won a Coretta Scott King Award for its illustrations and a CSK honor for the writing. It's historical fiction about an actual library in the woods that was for Black readers when they weren't yet allowed to go to the public library during segregation. It is a book I will add to my list of titles about censorship and literacy bans. I shared the book with fifth and sixth grade students this week and it had them engaged and thinking.

Another book that completely enthralled my students was The Invisible Parade by Leigh Bardugo and John Picacio. The illustrations are phenomenal and like the Caldecott winner has one extra fold out that extends the reach of the book. It's about a young person who is grieving a loved one as Día de Muertos is beginning. 

There was an additional book that went over well with fifth grade -- Go Tell It: How James Baldwin Became a Writer by Quartez Harris illustrated by Gordon C. James. The story is very compelling and there seem to be a lot of ways that students can connect with the young Baldwin.

At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for Freedom by Erin Estrada Kelly was a quite amazing middle grade narrative nonfiction book. Kelly has a gift of story. This was a gripping biography and Kelly managed to explain complex background information in a kid-friendly way which is not always easy. 

Currently Reading: 

I've started listening to Karuna Riazi's middle grade novel Sabrina Swept Away and am enjoying this storytelling focused fantasy. I'm also working my way through the Spanish edition of the third Wild Robot book - La misión de la robot salvaje. Next up will likely be VT Bidania's new book A Year Without Home which is by a Hmong American author who currently lives in St. Paul.

The Blue House I Loved

Title: The Blue House I Loved

Author: Kao Kalia Yang

Illustrator: Jen Shin

Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

Review Copy: ARC via Publisher

Availability: Release date February 10, 2026

Summary: A Hmong girl tells the story of her beloved aunt and uncle’s first home in America—long gone, but still alive in the family’s memories The Blue House I Loved centers on a family of newly arrived Hmong refugees who move into the lower level of a duplex in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The narrator loves her aunt and uncle’s home with its mismatched furniture, but it is too small for the large family. The boy cousins sleep in the three-season porch, where their wet hair freezes in wintertime, and the rest of the family crowds into two bedrooms. Yet this is the cherished home where they live and love, their own small corner of a very large and unfamiliar place, and in this blue house a young girl learns about her new country. Eventually, the family moves in search of more space, and years later the house is torn down. Where it was, green grass now grows. But for this girl and her family, the ghost of the house remains, its memories a strong thread that holds time at bay and hearts close together.

Combining Kao Kalia Yang’s lyrical prose with ethereal illustrations by artist and architect Jen Shin, The Blue House I Loved speaks to the multitude of refugee experiences around the world, honoring the challenges they face and the homes they create together. 

My Thoughts: I always look forward to new books by Kai Kalia Yang and this one was no exception. No matter the topic, her words always make me feel like I am able to step into a space filled with love. 

As in her other works, Yang has shared much of her heart within these pages. We see children tumbling through the rooms of this home, a baby nursing, and cousins enjoying their days, but also getting into a fight. There are so many everyday details of how they interacted with each other. It's a nostalgic book and leads readers to contemplate the spaces in their own past experiences. It reminds us that the spaces we spend time in and the people we encounter in those places shape us and help to make us who we are in the present and who we will be in the future. 

The illustrations support the text very well and make me eager to share the book with my students. I will likely read it soon with some of my classes. There are activity sheets provided on the publisher page, but even without those prompts, the book looks perfect for inspiring readers to draw a place that is special to them from different perspectives. There are views of the rooms from the top, from the outside, and cross-sections too. It feels like we are getting architectural input along with the interior emotions. They provide somewhat technical images along with the warmth of the colors and the family interactions.

Recommendation: This is a fantastic addition to any library and is somewhat unique in its perspective. We see an immigrant family settling into their new country and finding their way to new paths, but we also see that we can hold onto memories even if those places and spaces no longer exist in the world. Change plays a part in shaping us and it's possible to remember and honor those changes and the spaces where that change and growth has happened. 

Extras: 

Activity Sheets

Podcast Interview with author and illustrator

Rafi y Rosi

Title: Rafi y Rosi ¡Menú!/Rafi and Rosi Menu

Author: Lulu Delacre

Publisher: Children's Book Press

Review Copy: Final copy provided by publisher

Availability: On shelves now

Summary: Rafi and Rosi, the curious, fun-loving tree frog siblings, are cooking up a storm with delicious Puerto Rican treats on the menu. Rafi y Rosi, los hermanos rana arbórea curiosos y amantes de la diversión, están preparando una tormenta con deliciosas delicias puertorriqueñas en el menú. 

My Thoughts: This is a fun beginning reader that is part of the Rafi and Rosi series. The book focuses on the two young frogs who are helping their grandmother with the cooking. After checking the kitchen to see if they have all of the ingredients, they must go make a purchase for her and there are complications along the way. 

The storyline is fun and cheerful even when the characters are facing difficulties. I read the book in Spanish and in English. There are some challenging words for beginning readers, but there is a glossary at the beginning to help with some of that. 

This is a light-hearted and interesting way to read about some Puerto Rican foods. A bonus feature is the inclusion of recipes at the end and some background about the treats. 

I'm looking forward to sharing this book with students and seeing their responses. I am currently learning Spanish and this was a delightful way to practice my reading fluency so I believe that beginning readers will also enjoy spending time with these frog siblings.