It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila of Book Journey. Jen & Kellee from
Teach Mentor Texts have adapted this to focus on Picture Books to Young Adult Books.
Each week I'll recap what I've read/reviewed the week before
and then look ahead to what I am planning on reading/reviewing in the upcoming week.
Last week's book adventures:
Though this was a very slow reading week, there were a few books that made it into my reading pile.
First, I caught up with two picture books from teacher/librarians', Travis Jonkers (100 Scope Notes) & John Schumacher (Watch.Connect.Read), top twenty list.
Ice by Arther Geisert is a wordless picture book that was brought to my attention from reading Travis Jonker's blog 100 Scope Notes. This one needs to be looked at carefully in order to catch all of the subtleties of the story about a community of pigs that are suffering from the heat. A decision is made to search for ice and off they go. The story is told effectively through images and the creativity and ingenuity of these pigs are impressive.
Melvin and the Boy by Lauren Castillo is a beautifully illustrated gentle story about a young boy who discovers what he thinks is his perfect pet, only to learn that maybe the turtle would be happier where he came from. I especially enjoyed the endnotes with facts about real turtles.
Next, I squeezed in the most recent Ivy & Bean early chapter book No News is Good News by Annie Barrows. Ivy & Bean is a favorite among some of my 2nd and 3rd grade girls. And the 8th book in the series has these two friends figuring out a way to earn money in order to buy cheese, not just any cheese but low-fat Belldeloon cheese with the red wax. Probably one of my favorite Ivy & Bean books and sure to make you laugh.
And while on the plane to visit my parents for the holidays, I listened to The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman. If you are looking for a quick audiobook read, you might want to give this one a go. Narrated by Kerry Shale, this Newbery Medal Winner written by Sid Fleischman has a touch of humor along with a story of self-awakening and friendship.
I also read The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz. This has been on my list of books to read for a very long time. I have to confess that I am not much of a fairy fan which is likely why it has taken me so long to pull this out of the pile. However, I can certainly see how all of the little girls at my school who do love fairy stories will love this book. I will certainly be sharing this with students when I return after winter break.
And Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schanzer. This small volume was probably my favorite read this past week. I haven't read much in recent years about the Salem Witch Trials so it was exciting to find something that was informative and completely engrossing. The black-white and red scratchboard illustrations add to the text.
Upcoming Book Adventures...
My goal for this week is to go to our local library every day until I have read 150 picture books. Yep, 150 picture books. I am determined to reach my GoodReads Challenge Goal by December 31st.
So, what are you reading this week?
Please share! And remember to check in at Sheila's or Jen & Kellee's blog to see what they and others are reading!
