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.
 

 

I am excited that I met the Goodreads 2013 goal of 300 books.  I read 302.  I set the same goal for 2014 because it was a number that pushed me to keep on top of it, but it wasn't stressful.  I read a good mix of genres and formats, so I want to do the same this year.  I front-loaded a bit this week because I have a LOOONG book coming up for my book club:  The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt.

 

PICTURE BOOKS

 

 

Ah Ha! by Jeff Mack

 

2013-book, adventure, animals, humor, inference, mock-caldecott-2014, picture-book, predicting, surprise-ending   How do you tell a great story using only the letters "h" and "a"? Jeff Mack shows us how. Kids will love it! This book was on Dylan Teut's Top Ten blog post, so that's why I read it.  Great recommendation!       bits & pieces by Judy Schachner   2013-book, cats, friendship, mock-caldecott-2014, picture-book       I thought this was a sweet story, and Tink has a little bit of everyone's pet cat in him. He certainly reminds me of my cat, Faith - a little daffy (brain the size of a pea) and a born collector/eater (love the list of Tink's snacks). Faith is even a little cross-eyed, just like Tink.  The illustrations capture Tink's personality perfectly!     Henny by Elizabeth Rose Stanton   2014-book, anti-bullying, bebrave, character-development, chickens, empathy, fears, humor, individuality, mock-caldecott-2015, picture-book   I LOVE Henny! Henny is not a typical chicken - she was hatched with arms instead of wings! After much angst and ambivalence, she finally reconciles her differences and embraces her individuality and capabilities. Adorable illustrations. This one is a must-have for the classroom and will be a big hit among children.     Mustache Baby by Bridget Heos, illustrated by Joy Ang   2013-book, character-development, character-traits, humor, picture-book, read, surprise-ending   I wasn't sure where this one was going at first, but it was pretty funny! Kids will love the illustrations and humor, and it might prompt a good discussion about self-fulfilled prophecies, first impressions, or physical characteristics influencing personality.     An Otis Christmas by Loren Long                       2013-book, bebrave, christmas, mock-caldecott-2014, picture-book, theme                Yay, Otis! Another wonderful Otis installment by the amazing Loren Long. I just love the message and gorgeous illustrations. Captures the true meaning of Christmas - love, sacrifice, and hope.     Once Upon a Memory by Nina Laden, illustrated by Renata Liwska                       2013-book, memoir, mock-caldecott-2014, model-for-writing, picture-book                     Sweet illustrations help us think about memories, how small things create big ones, and changes. Spare text leaves lots of room for thinking.  Great book to use during a memoir unit.

 

Sophie's Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Anne Wilsdof

 

	2013-book, character-traits, friendship, gifted-girls, imagination, loss, mock-caldecott-2014, picture-book, seasons, strong-girl-character, surprise-ending, symbolism, theme

 

Awww...I'm glad I didn't miss this one. Sophie is a sensitive, vibrant little girl (the illustrations capture her essence perfectly) who decides to make a squash (yes, a squash) her best friend. Her patient parents try to help her give Bernice the squash up because it's rotting, but Sophie won't hear of it. She does, however, ask a farmer how to keep a squash healthy, so she makes Bernice a little bed under the soil. Winter comes and buries her in snow, so Sophie befriends a fish for awhile. Spr...more Aw...I'm glad I didn't miss this one. Sophie is a sensitive, vibrant little girl (the illustrations capture her essence perfectly) who decides to make a squash (yes, a squash) her best friend. Her patient parents try to help her give Bernice the squash up because it's rotting, but Sophie won't hear of it. She does, however, ask a farmer how to keep a squash healthy, so she makes Bernice a little bed under the soil. Winter comes and buries her in snow, so Sophie befriends a fish for awhile. Spring brings a delightful surprise. Sophie reminds me of little gifted girls I know who make imaginary and/or unusual friends and love them with all their hearts!   YOUNG ADULT     The Giver by Lois Lowry   audio-book, dystopian-novel, intermediate-kids-book, young-adult-book   Newbery Medal (1994), Mythopoeic Fantasy Award Nominee for Children's Literature (1994), Garden State Book Award for Teen Fiction Grades 6-8 (1996), Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award (1996), Grand Canyon Reader Award for Teen Book (1995) ...more Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award for Senior (1996), Horn Book Fanfare (1994), New Mexico Land of Enchantment Award (1997)     I read this years ago, but I wanted to refresh my memory since one of my middle graders is reading the series. I forgot how disturbing it was! It borrows concepts from The Handmaid's Tale and other classic futuristic stories and sets the standards for today's dystopian craze. I've never read the rest of the series, but I'd like to since SON came out not too long ago.  Lois Lowry is brilliant.       Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans   adventure, bullying, characters-with-disabilities, fantasy-science-fiction, young-adult-book

 

 

 

A student gave me this book for Christmas, so of course, I had to read it over break. It's hard to believe that it is written by the same author who wrote heartwarming, sweet Christmas books! This one is full of action, torture, and sadistic characters.  However, there are also characters who are willing to sacrifice and do the right thing.  There is no doubt that some of my adventure/science fiction readers will enjoy the electric super powers of the teenage members of Electroclan, the suspense, and mystery of Elgen.   CURRENTLY READING:     CURRENTLY LISTENING TO:       Every week I also like to feature what my family is reading.   Katie, my 17-year-old:     For AP English...   Libby, my 20-year-old:     I'm having so much fun watching/listening to her enjoy this series immensely!   My husband:     My mom:     My dad:     Come back to the blog on Wednesday to see what children's NONFICTION I'm reading.  Every Wednesday I link up to Alyson Beecher's Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.  I post nonfiction picture books and longer nonfiction middle grade/young adult book reviews/comments/recommendations.  What are YOU reading this week?