It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

These are memes started by Teach Mentor Texts and Book Journey, and I'm excited to participate, along with many other bloggers, in reviewing books I read the previous week. I'll be reviewing picture books through adult books.
 

 

These are the books I read this week:

 

MIDDLE GRADE

 

Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo

2013-book, adage-proverb-aphorism, adventure, animals, character-who-writes, comics, divorce-or-separation, family, friendship, gifted-character, humor, intermediate-kids-book, mock-newbery-2014, poetry, vocabulary, writing-connections     "Holy bagumba!" I loved this book! Kate DiCamillo is a magician with words and stories. I love how she combines fantasy, friendship, and quirkiness in all her books to make unforgettable characters. This one involves a squirrel who gains superhero powers after being sucked into the Ulysses 2000X vacuum cleaner (weird, I know, but somehow this story element works) and captures the heart of Flora who names him Ulysses, of course. He is a poet and valiant friend, keeping Flora company in her self-p...more "Holy bagumba!" I loved this book! Kate DiCamillo is a magician with words and stories. I love how she combines fantasy, friendship, and quirkiness in all her books to make unforgettable characters. This one involves a squirrel who gains superhero powers after being sucked into the Ulysses 2000X vacuum cleaner (weird, I know, but somehow this story element works) and captures the heart of Flora who names him Ulysses, of course. He is a poet and valiant friend, keeping Flora company in her self-professed cynical world. Flora's mother is a romance writer who seems more attached to her tacky lamp than Flora, and William Spiver is the temporarily blinded nephew of the lovable neighbor, Tootie. Flora's parents are divorced, thus her cynicism, but she still believes in superheroes and becomes Ulysses's mentor, giving him his "wings." Even though this book seems suitable for younger elementary kids, it is not for the faint of heart - lots of incredibly challenging vocabulary words are imbedded into life philosophies and sophisticated themes. Here's a smattering of some of the words: malfeasance, vanquish, eradicate, obfuscation, nefarious, euphemism, unremitting - see what I mean? I loved the ending and can't wait to share this with my Mock Newbery Club. Will they like it? I hope so! I feel about Kate's books the way Flora feels about Ulysses when he flies: "It was as if some small peace descended.  The world became dreamy, beautiful, slow."   MIDDLE GRADE/YOUNG ADULT     The Alchemyst by Michael Scott   adventure, audio-book, fantasy-science-fiction, historical-fiction, intermediate-kids-book, mythology, young-adult-book     I listened to this book while a small group in my classroom read it for their extended myth book. It's the perfect book to blend mythology with history, adventure, and fantasy. Sophie and Josh get caught up in a battle between good and evil, eternal life and power.   YOUNG ADULT     Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell   2013-book, character-who-reads, character-who-writes, divorce-or-separation, drug-and-alcohol-use, family, fears, friendship, gifted-girls, mock-printz-2014, realistic-fiction, romance, sisters, story-within-a-story, writing-connections, young-adult-book     Sigh. Two Rainbow Rowell books in one year - both of which I'll never forget. She knows how to create heartbreaking, endearing, unforgettable characters - characters you root for and cheer on. She knows how to write romances that are not too sappy and are full of complications and imperfections, but aren't overly angsty. I don't read or write fanfiction, but that's okay because I totally get the obsession over fantasy/science fiction series that makes you want to wait in a line of costumed reade...more Sigh. Two Rainbow Rowell books in one year - both of which I'll never forget. She knows how to create heartbreaking, endearing, unforgettable characters - characters you root for and cheer on. She knows how to write romances that are not too sappy and are full of complications and imperfections, but aren't overly angsty. I don't read or write fanfiction, but that's okay because I totally get the obsession over fantasy/science fiction series that makes you want to wait in a line of costumed readers at midnight for a book or movie release. I understand crying over the last book and wanting the story to continue. Speaking of which, when is the next Rainbow Rowell book coming out? I can't wait! CURRENTLY READING (my book club book this month): CURRENTLY LISTENING TO:     Here is what my family is reading this week:   My 20-year-old:     My 17-year-old:   My mom: My dad: What are YOU reading this week?