Sunday, April 26, 2020

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:

Last week in books:

This week was one of ups and down emotionally as we continue to do distance learning. I'll Be the One was a book I chose deliberately because it looked very fun and it definitely was and it was available as a digital ARC through Edelweiss (available June 16). It's a cute rom-com with a Korean American main character who is competing in a reality tv voice/dance competition in spite of her mother's lack of support. 

Though it may not be light and comedic, Parachutes (another digital ARC - available May 26) intrigued me because we have hosted many international students. In the past, they have stayed only one school year. This time though we actually have a student who would be considered a parachute. I had never heard this term, but it describes students (generally from Asia and most often from China) who come to the states and attend private schools for multiple years (which you can't do in public schools) so they may graduate here and then attend college here. Our student will have been here three years when she graduates. I often wonder where the exchange student books are so was interested to see this one. It was well done and really gets into some of the issues students can face including sexual harassment and racism along with simply missing their families and friends.

The other YA I read was Reaper at the Gates. Somehow I had thought I was all caught up on this series, but I grabbed it the final time I went to the library knowing Ramadan was coming up and it would be nice to read a book by a Muslim author. The whole series has been great though it is one of those stories where if anything seems to go well, watch out--there is sure to be death and destruction coming. It just goes from bad to worse. The relationships and connections between characters are fascinating and the story moves quickly. It's hard to wait for the next one. In addition to this one, I also read three picture books for the #RamadonReadathon - Like the Moon Loves the Sky, My Grandma and Me and Under the Ramadan Moon.

Finally, I listened to The List of Things That Will Not Change through Libro.fm. This was a middle grade about a young girl dealing with her anxiety (it normalizes therapy & I loved that) and eczema along with big changes with her family. Her father is getting married and she will be getting a sister, but they haven't even met. There is a lot to love here. 

The Coming Week:

American as Paneer Pie is an E-ARC I'm still reading from Netgalley. I finished up Garvey's Choice for my school book group. I am still reading Stamped and may yet get back to Dream Work. I plan to start reading Felix Ever After too. I am also waiting for a few new books to arrive via mail. I'm excited about those, but I don't know what will get here first.

Reading Challenge Updates: 
#MustReadin2020 - 16/36
#YARC2020 - 24/55

Monday, April 20, 2020

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:



Last week in books:


I am finally getting into a bit of a routine and am getting a little more reading accomplished. I'm also building some breaks into my workday and am reading books from my library. That way I'm not always looking at a screen, but I am still doing something that helps me improve at my job.

Green Lantern Legacy - middle grade graphic novel that's a lot of fun. It's basically an origin story of a Vietnamese American superhero. This was my first Bookshop order. You can order online and it helps support any local independent bookstore that you designate. I plan to support The Brain Lair Bookstore owned by Kathy Burnette. She makes it a point to focus on marginalized authors and inclusiveness in books. 

Destiny's Gift - a picture book about a girl and her friendship with the owner of a bookstore. There are financial issues and Destiny tries to help save the store.

Yaffa and Fatima: Shalom, Salaam - This is a retelling of a tale about two friends from different faiths. They both help each other in secret and the result is lovely. I was thinking this would go well with My Grandma and Me by Mina Javaherbin because the grandmother in that one has a friend of a different faith also and it is also a beautiful relationship.

The Water Bears (digital ARC via Netgalley out 4/21/20) is a unique middle grade novel and is quite a gift. The main character is one year out from a traumatic experience and is still dealing with the fallout. Being attacked by a bear is no small thing and he just can't get past it. I loved how this book addressed this stress and anxiety. What I totally loved was the very unique island community that Newt lives in and all of the interesting folks there. 

Dear Evan Hansen - I listened to this one through Libby via my public library. It was a well done audio. I had no idea what the book was about going into it except that it was something on Broadway. Since it was a musical, I was not expecting it to deal with the death of a teen. Also, it was one of those where I kept wanting to look away knowing that things could only end badly. It was a hard one to read even though there were some humorous moments. It also has a nice soundtrack on Spotify that was nice to listen to after knowing the story.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond was a re-read. It is really an excellent work of historical fiction. The one issue I have with it that I didn't notice as a young person when I first read it, is the way that the characters interact and refer to the Indigenous people. It's very much a book that casts them as savages. The mentions are fairly limited, but one plot point does involve fighting and the kidnapping of a white colonist and the Natives are definitely cast as villains.   

When Stars Are Scattered is a collaboration between a graphic novelist and the person who shared this memoir with her. I listened to it on Libro.fm so haven't yet seen the illustrations. I love Victoria Jamieson's work (Roller Girl and others) so am sure those will be fantastic. It's the story of Omar and his little brother as they become refugees from Somalia and are living in a camp in Kenya for many, many years without any biological family members. It's powerful.

How to Make Sunshine (Digital ARC via Netgalley) is a precious book about friends and family. It's aimed at the younger chapter book crowd. There are no super high stakes in this story, but there are many situations that would be familiar to elementary age readers. 

The Coming Week:

I am still reading Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi (on audio) while I read the original version. I have Dream Work checked out, but I am not really reading it much. It's nice to have it on my device though so I can read a poem here and there. American as Paneer Pie is an E-ARC I'm reading from Netgalley. I'm not sure what else I'll get to this week. Oh, I'm also re-reading Garvey's Choice with a few students I am meeting with via video chats. That's fun. Have a great week!

Reading Challenge Updates: 
#MustReadin2020 - 16/36
#YARC2020 - 22/55

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Review: Siha Tooskin Knows Series

Title: Siha Tooskin Knows the Gifts of His People
Author: Charlene Bearhead & Wilson Bearhead
Illustrator: Chloe Bluebird Mustooch
Publisher: HighWater Press
Pages: 24
Review copy: Digital ARC via Netgalley
Availability: May 26, 2020

Summary: Transportation, housing, agriculture, communications…there are so many modern conveniences. But are they really modern? Where did they really come from?
Paul Wahasaypa—Siha Tooskin—will learn about their origins and more on his walk home from school with Ade (his father). There’s so much to learn about the earliest forms of technology, travel, medicine, and food from right here on Turtle Island. Come along with Paul and Ade to hear all about the gifts of his people.

The Siha Tooskin Knows series uses vivid narratives and dazzling illustrations in contemporary settings to share stories about an 11-year-old Nakota boy.

Review: This is a wonderful book. Siha Tooskin has been asked to bring a food from his cultural background. This leads to a conversation about the indigenous foods that preceded European contact and remain. Talking about things that the Nakota people have had and done over the years leads to a discussion about the many things people have mistakenly believed are new that Indigenous people have been doing in different places around what is now called North America for thousands of years.

Siha Tooskin even learns about the way that Nakota people have been educating their children over time. Rather than a story with a problem and solution, this follows a conversation between father and son. It is definitely interesting and has a warm family feeling to it.

Recommendation: I would recommend this book for anyone, but especially those teaching history and changes over time. This book shows some of the ways Native and colonial practices have affected each group. There's a lot of content in these few pages that can lead to great discussions. Highly recommended for elementary age readers and their teachers or families.


Title: Siha Tooskin Knows the Catcher of Dreams
Author: Charlene Bearhead & Wilson Bearhead
Illustrator: Chloe Bluebird Mustooch
Publisher: HighWater Press
Pages: 32
Review copy: Digital ARC via Netgalley
Availability: May 26, 2020

Summary: Siha Tooskin (Paul) takes his expert bike riding to a whole new level to make sure he doesn't miss a thing. At home, Mugoshin (his grandmother) is creating a very special gift to protect the precious little one. Join Paul as he enjoys delicious bannock, imagines the future of a new baby sister, and listens to Mugoshin’s teachings about the catcher of dreams.

The Siha Tooskin Knows series uses vivid narratives and dazzling illustrations in contemporary settings to share stories about an 11-year-old Nakota boy.

Review: This is another lovely story filled with family love. Siha Tooskin's personality can be seen in this story. He is a storyteller himself and has a sense of humor. He's also extremely excited to have a new baby sister. His dreams for her include some of the gender specific things that his mother and grandmother will pass down, but he also sees possibilities for her future that go beyond typical gender expectations. Within this story readers also get to hear about how the dream catchers came to be and how they work to offer protection to the dreamers. As with the other Siha Tooskin book, this one also includes mentions of residential schools and some of the hard truths about Canadian history that are finally being taught about in schools. That's not the point of the book, but it's acknowledged.

Recommendation: Dream catchers and images of them are found in many kinds of media and are even on t-shirts and jewelry or hanging in cars on mirrors. For those who do not know the significance of dream catchers, this would be a very helpful book to read. For readers aware of them, it will also be a validation of what they already know. I look forward to having this available in our school library and believe this series is a must for any library serving young people. 

Monday, April 13, 2020

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:

Last week in books:

And working from home clearly doesn't seem to provide me with more time. We even had a five day weekend for what they call our Spring Break, but I still only finished two books. They were good for this time in our lives. I read Just Feel: How to Be Stronger, Happier, Healthier and More. It's a really nice book about mindfulness and really provides exactly what the title says. I also read The Crossroads Between Should and Must: Find and Follow Your Passion for a book club with Jen Vincent through her Story Exploratory. We were looking into our passions and what next steps to take so we can actually follow them. It was nice to get together virtually to chat about the book and make some progress with our passion projects.

The Coming Week:

I am still reading quite a few books, I'm still re-listening to Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi while I read the original version. I'm a little over half way through the more than 500 page book that doubles as a doorstop. Actually I am using it to prop up the lid of our puzzle box so we can see the picture right now. So, it is an amazing piece of writing, but is also physically useful. I am also working through a digital copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Dear Evan Hansen and Ways to Make Sunshine are both audio books, but I've actually been listening to podcasts so have paused those for now, but will likely start again soon. When I have moments here and there, I will read from the Mary Oliver book. I'm still plenty scattered, but am doing okay in this very strange time. Adding to the strangeness, it snowed for a good chunk of the day on Easter, so everything appears just a little out of the ordinary. Happy reading this week!

Reading Challenge Updates: 
#MustReadin2020 - 15/36
#YARC2020 - 20/55

Monday, April 6, 2020

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:

You would think that being home would mean I would finish more books, not less, but this is how it goes now. I am able to read, but I never stick with any one book for very long. My attention is very easily led away. I would say that is likely a reaction to the uncertainty and the many changes happening in our lives right now. I enjoyed The Jumbie God's Revenge which was the third in a series. It's a lot of adventure and it keeps you on your toes. Anya and the Dragon was a relatively fun fantasy. It's set in Russia and the main character is Jewish. Obviously a dragon is found, but what does one do with a dragon? How do we live in a way that respects life - all life? Big questions. The Chupacabras of the Rio Grande is another fantastically fun book in The Unicorn Rescue Society series. This one is not only asking about how do we respect the life of fantastical creatures, but also the life of those at our border who would wish to cross borders freely.

The Coming Week:


And here is the evidence of my fractured concentration. I am reading quite a few books, but none are close to being finished. In addition to those above, I am also re-listening to Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi while I read the much longer original version. I read a few chapters in the long one and then listen to the adapted version of the chapters again. I also got a digital copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond right after I read the chapter that deals with the historical happenings in that book. I know when I was young, I had no idea what was going on in the political moments of the book. I've re-read it many times and eventually figured out what was going on, but I wanted to read it again with this specific context. The book Just Feel has some really helpful suggestions for mindfulness that I have enjoyed immensely. I know a few specific students who would really do well with this book. So this week, I will continue working on the seven different books I'm reading. The CCBC Friends group sent out an email this week and they concluded it with the poem in the book Life by Cynthia Rylant illustrated by Brendan Wenzel. I appreciate the reminder that the animals in the world know that life starts small and it is always changing. "And it is worth waking up in the morning to see what might happen." In these strange times it's nice to be reminded of the wonder in the world. Happy reading to you!

Reading Challenge Updates: 
#MustReadin2020 - 15/36
#YARC2020 - 20/55