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. 
  

 

Not only is it #IMWAYR day, but it's Youth Media Awards Day!  Woohoo!  I'm writing this Sunday night, and we're supposed to get snow, so I don't know if I will be watching it with my students or at home.  It's MUCH more fun with students because they have their favorites, too, and will be excited for the winners, but either way, I'm watching it!   Good luck to all the wonderful writers and illustrators of young people's literature who wrote books in 2013.  I can't imagine life without your art and am so grateful for how your books make my life and the life of kids, teachers, and kidlit fans better and richer.  Thank you!  I love what Jarrett Krosoczka said on Facebook Sunday:

 

Jarrett J. Krosoczka

There is anxiety across the land tonight ahead of the big Newbery / Caldecott announcements tomorrow. Regardless of the outcome, we'll all continue to do what we do best-create & connect kids to great children's literature.

Books I read last week:
 
PICTURE BOOKS
 


 

 

Please Bring Balloons by Lindsay Ward

 

2013-book, adventure, fantasy-science-fiction, imagination, journey, mock-caldecott-2014, picture-book   Jen Vincent featured this on her "It's Monday! What Are You Reading?" post today, and I loved the cover, so I found it at the bookstore. The art is beautiful, and I enjoyed the adventurous story of a girl who finds a note rucked under the saddle of a polar bear on the carousel. The note asks for some balloons, and after she finds enough, he takes off with her on his back. He brings her back before bedtime, and the next day, she thinks she dreamed the whole thing. The ending brings a great surpri...more Jen Vincent featured this on a "It's Monday! What Are You Reading?" post, and I loved the cover, so I found it at the bookstore. The art is beautiful, and I enjoyed the adventurous story of a girl who finds a note rucked under the saddle of a polar bear on the carousel. The note asks for some balloons, and after she finds enough, he takes off with her on his back. He brings her back before bedtime, and the next day, she thinks she dreamed the whole thing. The ending brings a great surprise.     The Museum by Susan Verde, illustrated by Peter Reynolds   2013-book, art, picture-book, rhyme       I could completely relate to the little girl in this book. I love museums, and the illustrations showed how art can inspire you. Students can have fun learning about the famous pieces in the book. It's fitting that the adult book on this post is about a museum, too, and the importance of art.   YOUNG ADULT     Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein   2013-book, audio-book, character-who-writes, friendship, historical-fiction, holocaust, mock-printz-2014, poetry,  story-within-a-story, strong-girl-character, survival, symbolism, war CAUTION: These videos are about the women's concentration camp featured in Rose Under Fire and the Nuremburg trials, also written about in the novel. They contain disturbing footage and is not suitable for young children to watch.   The character Rose Justice is amazing. Not only is she a daring American ATA pilot and poet, but she is a survivor. I really loved Code Name Verity, so I'm not sure this one quite measured up to that one for me, but it was still very good. What amazes me is that Elizabeth Wein can not only write this compelling story, but she includes Rose's beautiful poetry, which of course, she wrote, too. This book would make a great addition to jr. high and high school libraries, along with Code Name Verity....more The character Rose Justice is amazing. Not only is she a daring American ATA pilot and poet, but she is a survivor. I really loved Code Name Verity, so I was looking forward to reading this companion.  What amazes me is that Elizabeth Wein can not only write this compelling story, but she includes Rose's beautiful poetry, which of course, she wrote, too. This book would make a great addition to jr. high and high school libraries, along with Code Name Verity. Students who are interested in WWII and the Holocaust will be drawn towards both and learn more about the role women played in the war.   ADULT     The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

	2013-book, adopted-foster-child, adult-fiction, art, book-club, character-motivation, character-who-writes, drug-and-alcohol-use, friendship,  romance, sensory-details, setting, theme

 There is SO much to this epic book, not only because of its monster length - 770 pages and dense - but because the story is so outrageous, sad, disturbing, and full of life, dysfunction, and pain. With all its heaviness, there are also humorous parts, and I have to say Boris must be one of the best characters in literature that I've read in a while! I love the idea of the painting carrying the thread of the story in all its symbolism, and as hopeless as Theo Decker is, you root for him all the way to the end. I loved Hobie, too. Tartt is an incredibly talented writer. She does so many amazing things with craft in this book. The settings are brilliant - characters in themselves - New York, Las Vegas, Amsterdam. Of course, now I want to see the painting. I've been to the Frick, but I don't remember seeing it. I didn't have a connection to it at the time, though. Most of the art I remember seeing and loving, I connected to it because of reading about it! Our book club about this book is Monday night, so I'm looking forward to hashing this out with everyone.

 

CURRENTLY READING

 

CURRENTLY LISTENING TO
     (Almost done with Anne)
 

My family loves to read too!

Katie (17)



Libby (20)



My husband



My dad



My mom



What are YOU reading this week?