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.

I am still in the midst of #NaNoWriMo and that cuts into my reading time a lot. I didn't read much this week, but they were all five star books.

The Past Week

Picture Book

I loved the original Marisol McDonald book and this one was equally fun. I am looking forward to sharing both with my students and then having a Clash Bash of our own.

Non-fiction 

This is a fascinating story of how one person can make change happen in the world. Kate Sessions managed to changed the whole look of San Diego. The illustrations were great and since I have been to San Diego it was interesting to see how it came to be the way I know it now.

Middle Grade Novel

I was very excited to have the chance to read Seven Stories Up through NetGalley. I will write a review later, but it was a fantastic look at family interactions. Like Bigger than a Breadbox, this too has elements of the fantastical within everyday situations. Loved it.

The Coming Week:

I started reading a non-fiction digital ARC called Chitchat which is a book about languages, but my ARC won't let me back in. If it does, I will finish it. The other book I know I will be reading is Diverse Energies. That will be a re-read for me. I originally read it as an ARC, but did not review it at the time. Now I have purchased it and will review it for Rich in Color later this week. Otherwise, I am looking forward to finishing NaNoWriMo at the end of the week so I can have plenty of time to read the Nerdy Book Club Award Nominees next week. What will you be reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Since it is Spring Break for me, I got quite a few books read over the past week. Just the way I like it. :)

Newbery Challenge: I read Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze and actually was surprised that I enjoyed it more than I expected. It wasn't earthshaking, but it was also not hideous like some of the other "multicultural" early Newberys have been. Another was Invincible Louisa. That one was a re-read because I went through a Louisa May Alcott phase in upper elementary and middle school and read all of her novels and several bios. I enjoyed it this time too though it seems Meigs hero worshiped a bit.

Caldecott Challenge: I only read two Caldecotts over the past week. I read the Girl Who Loved Wild Horses which isn't awful, but it would be better if the author had included source information. I also read The Village of Round and Square Houses which again, wasn't awful, but wasn't fantastic either. 

Picture Books (Fiction and NF): A Party in Ramadan by Mobin-Uddin was really good. It showed a girl trying to keep her Ramadan fast in spite of attending a friend's birthday party where there will be food.  The Odd Egg by Gravett is great with a surprise ending - maybe not best for pre-school since they may be startled. Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom is a fantastic way to introduce the underground railroad to young children. I am Different Can You Find Me? is a great look and find type book that has world languages as its content. Finally, Spotty, Stripy, Swirly: What Are Patterns? is a gorgeous book with fantastic photographs of patterns - both manmade and natural.

2011 Nerdy Nominees: After this week, I only have 5 more left!! I read the YA book The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic which was really appropriate as this is the week of the 100th anniversary of the sinking. Paired with a re-watching of the movie, it was pretty incredible. I loved the constant switching to different perspectives. The iceberg's voice was (forgive me) chilling. I loved that it was included. I also finished Wither by DeStefano which was a great dystopian book.

Graphic Novels: Luz Sees the Light was a bit preachy, but it was okay. I definitely preferred the biographical Fatty Legs: A True Story about a woman's residential school experience years ago as an Inuit.

Middle Grade: Crow by Barbara Wright was absorbing historical fiction. I can see this one potentially winning awards.

Young Adult: I think my favorite book over the week was The Running Dream. Somehow the main character really tugged at my heart. Why We Broke Up was okay, but I got annoyed sometimes by the melodrama. 

For Next Week: I plan to finish up Dobry and start Caddie Woodlawn. I will also finish up Blue Jasmine by Sheth and might finally get to The Genius Files. Then who knows. I have a huge stack waiting for me. Happy reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

I have had a fantastic week of reading.  I read picture books, chapter books and managed to get in some non-fiction too.

Picture Books

I was able to read a few more Nerdy nominees.  First, I read Stars by Mary Lyn Ray and illustrated by Marla Frazee.  The pictures were simply beautiful and worked so well with the pictures. I wanted to go lay out under the stars after this one if it wasn't so blasted cold out.  Later in the week I was able to enjoy A Dog is a Dog by Stephen Shaskan.  This one was cute, funny, and super engaging.  I can't wait to share either of them with my students. I know they will both be crowd pleasers.  I still have 22 Nerdy Nominees to go, but I am whittling down that list a few at a time.

I also worked on my Caldecott Challenge by reading Cock a Doodle Doo by Berta Hader.  This is an old fashioned little story about a little chick.  It was okay, but not fabulous.  I did enjoy Seven Simeons: A Russian Tale by Boris Artzybasheff quite a bit more. The illustrations were delicate and quite interesting.  The story also had such a pompous king that I just had to giggle all the way through.  Laura (@liblaura5) has a fantastic video review of this book.  Animals of the Bible edited by Helen Dean Fish, was a little dry and quoted the King James English version.  Not my favorite though I did appreciate seeing the Daniel in the Lion's Den story that I haven't thought of for quite some time. I would definitely have given Seven Simeons the award over Animals of the Bible if it had been my choice.  The Ageless Story by Lauren Ford was another one that really wasn't one of my favorites.  I found it an interesting book, but only in a kind of historical way.

I also read Postcards from Buster: Buster and the Dance Contest by Marc Brown shows a group of Hmong girls getting ready to compete.  It is a very short book with not a lot of detail, but it is great because there are not many picture books that show Hmong characters in a contemporary setting.

Non-fiction
 I read A Little Peace by Barbar Kerley.  I love the pictures of people from all around the world and the message of making the world a better place.  It went well with Me...Jane and Jane's message to young people.

America is Under Attack: September 11, 2001: The Day the Towers Fell was emotionally charged, but I appreciated the way the story is delivered for children.  The harsh facts aren't ignored, but the book isn't sensational.  Stories are shared about actual people.  Some were survivors, but others are not.  The book is an excellent introduction to a horrifying part of our history.




Newbery Challenge
I finished The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle by Hugh Lofting.  Wild animals that talk, a shipwreck, and many other adventures keep this book lively.  It reminded me in some weird way of Pippi.  Here is someone who has a little something extra and adventures at the drop of a hat and doesn't worry much about what will happen next.  I found this infinitely more enjoyable than Story of Mankind.

Young Adult
The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner was a great book for my Friday evening read.  The main characters were very engaging and believable.  It also made me want to read Of Mice and Men again.

By far the most phenomenal book of the week though was The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.  One of those I will need to think about for a long time.  I will likely read it multiple times too.  It brought laughter and tears and some deep thinking.

For next week:
Newberys: I will finish up The Dark Frigate and start Tales from Silver Lands
Caldecotts: Just keep reading, just keep reading
Nerdy Nominees:
Big Wig: a Little History of Hair, A Butterfly is Patient & Page by Paige
Some good non-fiction

Happy Reading!