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. 

 

Oh my goodness!  Could it be that it's been over a MONTH since I wrote a #IMWAYR post?!  I'll only feature some of my favorites I've read since September 22nd instead of everything, and then I'll try not to go so long in between again.

 

PICTURE BOOKS

 

 

Flora and the Penguin by Molly Idle

 

 

 

2014-book, dance, friendship, mock-caldecott-2015, picture-book,  wordless   Molly Idle's new Flora book is just as perfect as the first one. How does she make us so happy with no words - just expressions, movement, and a silent story. Lovely.     Nana in the City by Lauren Castillo   2014-book, fears, grandparents, mock-caldecott-2015, picture-book, point-of-view   I really enjoyed this picture book about looking at things in a new way. It would be a great mentor text for point of view/perspective. Terrific illustrations.     Firebird by Misty Copeland, illustrated by Christopher Myers     NPR INTERVIEW   african-american, dance, leaving-a-legacy, mock-caldecott-2015, multicultural, picture Gorgeous!     Hank Has a Dream by Rebecca Dudley     2014-book, animals, circular-structure, creativity, friendship, journey, picture-book   Aw, I love Hank. I'm so glad he's back in this new picture book by Rebecca Dudley. This time he tells his friend, Hummingbird, his dream about flying. The ending begins to take us on the journey again, this time with Hummingbird. Dudley's miniature sets are just as magical in this one.     The Secret Life of Squirrels by Nancy Rose     2014-book, animals, creativity, photography, picture-book     I love the creativity and patience of this author/photographer! I had seen some of her squirrel pictures before on social media, so I was happy when I saw this book! She creates miniature tableaux, and then wait until squirrels come to investigate and snaps hundreds of photos until she gets just the right one to create the scene. So cute!   MIDDLE GRADE/YOUNG ADULT NOVELS     I Kill the Mockingbird by Paul Acampora   2014-book, allusion, books-about-books, cancer, character-motivation, family, friendship, humor, intermediate-kids-book, mock-newbery-2015, mock-printz2015,  romance, teachers-who-inspire, young-adult-book   If you are a bibliophile, you can't help but love this book about 3 friends who hatch a crazy plan after getting their summer reading assignments to hide and "kill" copies of To Kill A Mockingbird in various local bookstores in order to promote interest in it (funny commentary about banned books in that action!). It's about the love of books and bookstores, friendship, family, and even a little romance. I laughed aloud at many parts, but there are also profound musings about God and spirituality...more If you are a bibliophile, you can't help but love this book about 3 friends who hatch a crazy plan after getting their summer reading assignments to hide and "kill" copies of To Kill A Mockingbird in various local bookstores in order to promote interest in it (funny commentary about banned books in that action!). It's about the love of books and bookstores, friendship, family, and even a little romance. I laughed aloud at many parts, but there are also profound musings about God and spirituality. I'm not sure every kid would love it, but the ones who do are sure to be book lovers!     The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey   fantasy-science-fiction, fears,  romance, science-fiction, strong-girl-character, survival, young-adult-book     I loved this alien sci-fi thriller - I found it hard to put down once I started. The twists and turns, romance, and survival adventure kept me turning the pages. I'm so glad I waited to read it until the sequel was already published! Interesting exploration on what it means to be human and what humans are capable of in the midst of fear, survival, and war. On to Book 2...     365 Days of Wonder by R.J. Palacio   2014-book, adage-proverb-aphorism, kindness, leaving-a-legacy, precept, quotes   I enjoyed reading the 365 precepts that Mr. Browne, Auggie's teacher in Wonder, gathered over the years. There is such a wide array of people (including children) represented. I see them as excellent writing prompts. My 6th graders already analyzed and written about G.K. Chesterton's precept, "I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act." Between each month, Mr. Browne writes essays in which a little more of the sto...more I enjoyed reading the 365 precepts that Mr. Browne, Auggie's teacher in Wonder, gathered over the years. There is such a wide array of people (including children) represented. I see them as excellent writing prompts. My 6th graders already analyzed and written about G.K. Chesterton's precept, "I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act." Between each month, Mr. Browne writes essays in which a little more of the story Wonder gets revealed. I think this book is must have for the classroom library, along with Wonder, of course.     The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm   2014-book, divorce-or-separation, family, fantasy-science-fiction, fears, grandparents, intermediate-kids-book, mock-newbery-2015, science, theme   This is a quirky story of family, fears, and science. Why do I say fears? Ellie's mad scientist grandfather is so afraid of aging that when he discovers a jellyfish that has a component in it that reverses age, he gives some to himself and reverts to a 13-yr-old! Ellie's mother brings him home and has to disguise him as a long-lost cousin named Melvin. His character is just hilarious, but he learns throughout the book that the circle of life requires that people age. Ellie's newfound interest in...more This is a quirky story of family, fears, and science. Why do I say fears? Ellie's mad scientist grandfather is so afraid of aging that when he discovers a jellyfish that has a component in it that reverses age, he gives some to himself and reverts to a 13-yr-old! Ellie's mother brings him home and has to disguise him as a long-lost cousin named Melvin. His character is just hilarious, but he learns throughout the book that the circle of life requires that people age. Ellie's newfound interest in science will inspire girls to look at more stuff under the microscope. This is a World Read Aloud book this year, so I'm going to try it out with my 5th graders. This story would pair well with Funke's The Thief Lord and Sheinkin's Bomb.     The Secret Hum of a Daisy by Tracy Holczer   2014-book, art, birds, character-development, death, family, friendship, grandparents, home, intermediate-kids-book, loss, love, mock-newbery-2015, poetry, redemption, symbolism, theme, writing-connections   This is a beautiful, beautiful book that reads more like poetry than a novel. I loved 12-yr-old Grace and her search for love and a home after the accidental death of her mother. I loved Grace's grandmother, flawed as she was, because she truly wanted to do right by Grace. I loved Mrs. Greene and Lacey who wanted desperately to make a home for her. I loved the various birds who meandered like supernatural signposts throughout the story, and I loved the Robert Frost poetry that weaved it all toge...more This is a beautiful, beautiful book that reads more like poetry than a novel. I loved 12-yr-old Grace and her search for love and a home after the accidental death of her mother. I loved Grace's grandmother, flawed as she was, because she truly wanted to do right by Grace. I loved Mrs. Greene and Lacey who wanted desperately to make a home for her. I loved the various birds who meandered like supernatural signposts throughout the story, and I loved the Robert Frost poetry that weaved it all together. I loved the words and poetry that Grace needed to express. If I didn't have a thousand books in my TBR pile, I would've started at the beginning and read it all over again immediately.   CURRENTLY READING     CURRENTLY LISTENING TO     Usually I feature what my family is reading, but I didn't get a chance to investigate, so I'll try to get that done for next week's #IMWAYR.   What are YOU reading this week?!