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 want to know more about what I've been reading, visit my Goodreads shelf.


Last Week on the Blog:

Celebrate

Last Week in Books:

I don't generally watch much television. This summer I caught up on Dr. Who since they announced the next doctor, but that is about all I had seen until this past week. After reading Maureen Goo's I Believe in a Thing Called Love I just had to watch a Korean drama. At the end of the book, Goo provides some suggested titles. Since I wanted something fun and I enjoy music, I chose You're Beautiful. It was really silly at times and had me laughing out loud. It also had me crying once in a while. There are many moments which had me rolling my eyes over the melodrama, but it was wonderful except that I was a little obsessed and watched 16 episodes in 6 days. That kept me too busy for much reading or blogging. It was actually nice to switch it up for a bit right before school started. I'm listening to some of the music as I type. 


Bulldozer Helps Out is super cute. I would never have thought of mixing big machinery and the particular animals that show up in this book, but it works really well.  Trudy's Big Swim is a fascinating look at Gertrude Ederle's amazing swim across the English Channel. Scapegoats: How Islamophobia Helps Our Enemies and Threatens Our Freedoms is obviously not for children. Iftikhar shares his experiences as a Muslim American and the trends he has seen in the ways Muslims are being treated here. I am thankful he continues to share his experiences through his writing and in the news even though it has to get tiring explaining over and over to people who don't seem to listen. The Dinner That Cooked Itself is a sweet fairytale from China. We Are Shining is a lovely poem of affirmation by Gwendolyn Brooks that honors her 100th birthday.


The Coming Week:
I'll be reading You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins. I'm really looking forward to it. I am also hoping to get Adam Silvera's new book They Both Die at the End. I will also likely read quite a few picture books. How about you?

Reading Challenge Updates:

Goodreads Challenge 2017 - 454/550

Diversity on the Shelf 2017 - 196/225 (goal = 50% of my books by and/or about POC)

LGBTQIA Challenge - 17/30

#OwnVoices Challenge - 111/125

#MustReadin2017 - 21/24

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge - 80/100

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 had some unexpected surprises to celebrate. I knew there were going to be special bicycle events this weekend, but didn't realize they would be such unique activities. I participated a few years ago and went on a birding bicycle trek. Once I went on the ice cream ride. This time it was a poetry ride. Seriously. It is part of the Hear, Here community story project. We used our bicycles to get to several locations in the project. At each spot, we stopped to listen to a poem and briefly discuss the poem and/or the space. It was a wonderful way to see and experience our city.

The next bicycle event was a yoga ride. A train created a diversion and we had to take a slightly different route than we expected, but that made the trip more interesting. We did a little train meditation while we waited briefly before heading over to a different crossing. We made it to the yoga studio and had an hour of yoga before our leisurely ride back through town. 

The rides were more about connecting with each other than exercising or getting somewhere. Connecting with others makes life so much more meaningful. Speaking of connecting - we had our Open House on Wednesday evening and we started school on Friday. Seeing families and returning students and new students made my week. I love the first week even though it is more than a little exhausting. Everyone seems to be excited and hopeful with a fresh start to the year. Summer is truly coming to a close, but fall has all kinds of wonderful opportunities for us and I'm eager to see what the new school year will bring.

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 want to know more about what I've been reading, visit my Goodreads shelf.

Last Week on Blogs: 

Review: Revenge of the Happy Campers

by Jennifer Ziegler

Rich in Color Review: The Library of Fates

by Aditi Khorana

Last Week in Books:

I had a great week filled with tons of books. Here are the ones that stood out from the rest.

The Coming Week:

We start school this week. I'm not sure what I'll be reading, but hope to get in a few good books before classes begin on Friday.

Reading Challenge Updates:

Goodreads Challenge 2017 - 449/550

Diversity on the Shelf 2017 - 193/225 (goal = 50% of my books by and/or about POC)

LGBTQIA Challenge - 17/30

#OwnVoices Challenge - 109/125

#MustReadin2017 - 21/24

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge - 79/100

Review: Revenge of the Happy Campers

Title: Revenge of the Happy Campers
Author: Jennifer Ziegler
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 267
Review copy: Final copy via author
Availability: On shelves now

Summary: The Brewster triplets, Dawn, Darby, and Delaney, are always up for an adventure, whether it's ruining a wedding (for good reasons!) or turning a Christmas pageant tradition on its head. But now they're about to go where they've never gone before: Camping!

They're spending spring break with Aunt Jane, at the campground she and their mom used to go as kids. But the first morning there, they run into a trio of boys, and one starts bragging about his plan to become the President of the United States. Clearly this is Dawn's destiny, and the two, well, don't become fast friends.

Between Dawn and Raj's competition to see who's the best leader, some unfortunate encounters with nature, and how disappointed Aunt Jane is at every turn, this camping thing is sure looking like a bad idea. And when their final contest ends with a washed-out bridge, an injured boy, and a rainstorm, it might take six future leaders of the country to keep this from being the worst trip ever!

Review: The Brewster triplets manage to get into all kinds of amusing situations off at camp. They have adult supervision, but they are also given enough independence that they can have adventures. As usual, they are plotting, planning, and putting their plans into effect with much humor and more than a few mistakes. There are moments of tension, but nothing really terrible happens to anyone aside from some hurt feelings and bumps and bruises. That reminds me of the turtle who shows up in the story in a rather surprising location. 

Middle grade readers who want a fun romp will enjoy this one. It was a great summer read for me and even during the rest of the year, it will bring summer back to mind.

The political aspect was also interesting. The sisters and their competition are democratically minded, but learn a lot about good leadership as they try to get things done. Dawn and her rival come to learn that leadership is not just ordering people around. 

Recommendation: Readers who enjoyed the first two Brewster Triplets books will definitely want to grab this one. It would likely work as a stand-alone, but would be best read following the other two. It's a great story for those who want a summer story to make them smile.

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 want to know more about what I've been reading, visit my Goodreads shelf.

Last Week on Blogs: 

Celebrating Sunflowers

Rich in Color

Charlottesville and Resources

Guest Post with Sonia Patel

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge

Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix

Last Week in Books:

The Coming Week:

This is the final week of summer vacation for me and I am trying to finish up books that need to be reviewed as quickly as possible. I want to read Akata Warrior. I am also finishing up the audio of A Crown of Wishes. Otherwise, it will be a hodgepodge. I wish you a great week of reading. 

Reading Challenge Updates:

Goodreads Challenge 2017 - 399/550

Diversity on the Shelf 2017 - 178/225 (goal = 50% of my books by and/or about POC)

LGBTQIA Challenge - 16/30

#OwnVoices Challenge - 103/125

#MustReadin2017 - 21/24

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge - 76/100

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.

I adore sunflowers. They are beautiful on their own, but when there are thousands of them together, they are stunning. I appreciate that they both look like the sun and look to the sun. This field of sunflowers was planted in memory of a young woman who also loved sunflowers. Haley died in a car accident in 2015 and her family planted these flowers in her memory. They also share the beauty with others and allow anyone to come and walk through the path through this amazing field. One of my children went with me and we took a leisurely walk through this spot of loveliness. I'm thankful Haley's family is finding peace in this gift. I never met Haley or her family before this weekend, but with this field they are sharing her with us all in a special way. What a wonderful celebration of her life.

Non Fiction Picture Book Challenge - Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix

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.

Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix

by Jacqueline Briggs Martin & June Jo Lee

illustrated by Man One

This is another great title from the Readers to Eaters publishing company. They seem to focus on books about slow and local whole foods. Chef Roy Choi is a wonderful biography. First off, the endpapers are decorated with ramen!! Awesome. The book shows a bit of his early life like how food was very important in his family when he grew up. There were even meals that they created together as they interacted with one another. We learn about Sohn-maash or the "flavors in our fingertips." It reminds me of how my grandmother baked things with love. There were other Korean words and phrases explained in the book.

 

Roy Choi had an indirect path to food trucks, but his experiences helped prepare him for that type of work. I love that the book shares some of his Korean heritage, but also shows how things from his community also blended with that to create something wonderful and new. 

Speaking of blending, the art is a mix also. Since this is a book about street food, they invited a street artist to illustrate the book. The art has a graffiti look to it at times and shouts city. 

This would be a great book to use when talking about persistence or that failure doesn't mean everything is over. It's great for teaching resilience too. One of the pages is talking about his career as a fancy chef. "Roy was a success--until he wasn't." That was when he got the nudge to open a taco truck which ultimately was a more fulfilling job for him. 

Since our community is seeing an uptick in food trucks, this is a book I am happy to have around. It has many great things going for it. It would also work well paired with the middle grade fiction book Stef Soto, Taco Queen which centers around a family who owns a taco truck. It's a lovely book that like Chef Roy, features a comittment to food and community. I haven't read it yet, but there is also a fun looking picture book called Food Trucks! by Mark Todd I might have to get.

Roy maintains a Twitter account so you can find out what he is up to. He has expanded way beyond one simple food truck at this point.