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. 

 

MIDDLE GRADE

 

 

Laugh With The Moon by Shana Burg

 

	character-development, death, disease, family, friendship, global-awareness, home, human-rights, intermediate-kids-book, journey, loss, multicultural, social-injustice

 

 

 

 

This is one of our small group book choices for our 6th grade theme SOCIAL INJUSTICE in September. Thirteen-year-old Clare is hurting from her mother's death, and now her father has dragged her to Africa where he'll be working in a local hospital, and she'll be attending the village school. She is furious with her father and just wants to be home. When they arrive in Malawi, she is greeted by a large monkey drinking a Coke. This is just the beginning of feeling like a fish out of water. However,...more This is one of our small group book choices for our 6th grade theme SOCIAL INJUSTICE in September. Thirteen-year-old Clare is hurting from her mother's death, and now her father has dragged her to Africa where he'll be working in a local hospital, and she'll be attending the village school. She is furious with her father and just wants to be home. When they arrive in Malawi, she is greeted by a large monkey drinking a Coke. This is just the beginning of feeling like a fish out of water. However, through her friendship with Memory, a tragedy involving Memory's brother, and teaching English and theater to the young students at Mzanga Full Primary School, she discovers "home" can be found in the African jungle. I loved the parts that describe Clare teaching English to the young children - she uses a lot ideas that we used when teaching at the English camp in our recent trip to Czech Republic (Simon Says, bingo cards, "Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" and hokey-pokey), and I remember sweating like she did on the first day!!     Shooting Kabul by N.H. Senzai   bullying, character-development, family, global-awareness, grandparents, human-rights, intermediate-kids-book, photography   I have a small group reading this book for our Social Injustice unit. It's perfect timing since we just talked about September 11th, and they're in the middle of reading it. It explores the journey of Fadi from Kabul, Afghanistan to California. His family fled Afghanistan because of the Taliban, but because of terrible circumstances, they had to leave his little sister, Miriam behind. Fadi blames himself. Once he is in the U.S., 9/11 happens, and then he has to endure prejudice as well. His phot...more This is another small group book for our SOCIAL INJUSTICE unit. It's perfect timing since we just talked about September 11th, and they're in the middle of reading it. It explores the journey of Fadi from Kabul, Afghanistan to California. His family fled Afghanistan because of the Taliban, but because of terrible circumstances, they had to leave his little sister, Miriam behind. Fadi blames himself. Once he is in the U.S., 9/11 happens, and then he has to endure prejudice as well. His photography and a chance to win a trip to India may give him a chance to find her again.  The story is fascinating and gives kids a chance to learn a lot about the Taliban, the war on terror, and what prejudice and fear can lead to.   YOUNG ADULT     Going Bovine by Libba Bray   audio-book, award-winner, character-development, character-motivation, death, fantasy-science-fiction, humor, journey, thinking-philosophy     This is one trippy Wizard of Oz/Alice's Adventures in Wonderlandlike, weird story!! It has one of the funniest beginnings I've ever read, but man. It is very strange.  Sixteen-year-old Cameron gets Mad Cow disease and is told he's going to die.  And that's when the crazy road trip begins.  I did laugh a lot.  Get ready for one wild ride!  IF you even want to go on this trip...   CURRENTLY READING       CURRENTLY LISTENING TO     What are YOU reading this week?