It's Monday, What Are You Reading? July 11, 2022

 

Please visit the amazing blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers who host this terrific meme each week.

Here are a couple books I read last week.  

We Are Shapes

by Melinda Beck

Published April, 2022

Phaidon Press

32 Pages

Board Book

Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

A playful and clever board book about shapes and teamwork by a two-time Emmy-nominated children's content creator at Nickelodeon

Pitch-perfect for a preschool audience, this board book introduces shapes and explores themes of teamwork and resilience. Square, rectangle, triangle, circle, squiggly and lumpy all work together to build a house. Each shape makes a unique contribution, and collectively they achieve something that they could not do alone. With an emphasis on interpersonal development, and visually inspired by the children's books created by Russian Constructivists, this is an artful, fresh take on the evergreen topic of shapes. This charming book teaches young readers everywhere that we are far stronger together than alone.

My Thoughts

I am already thinking about using this book in my library for K-1. It offers the concept work of shapes and the attributes of shapes while also capitalizing on the theme of teamwork. The illustrations are intentionally simplistic, and each shape has its own unique personality. This will be a book kids want to hear over and over again. 

Here are some other books I read last week. Click on the cover to go to the book's page on Goodreads. 

From the 2022-2023 Maine Student Book Award List

Loved this graphic novel for younger students from the author of Mel Fell. And it's a series! 

I am kind of obsessed with all the Elephant & Piggies Like Reading series. 

 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? October 11, 2021

Please visit the amazing blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers who host this terrific meme each week.

Here are a few books I have read recently. Click on the book cover to go to the book's Goodreads page. 

I definitely want to read more books in in this Elephant & Piggie Like Reading collection. 

An excellent early graphic novel for younger readers. 

Visit later this week for more on this amazing nonfiction picture book. 

The much anticipated book from RJ Palacio. Great for fans of historical fiction. 

Almost done listening to...

Current Professional Read

Coming Up

What Are You Reading Friends?

It's Monday, What Are you Reading? August 3, 2020

Please visit the amazing blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers who host this terrific meme each week.

Here are a few books I read last week at the lake. Click on the covers to go to the book's page on Goodreads.

A nonfiction graphic novel showing how women (very slowly) became part of space exploration in the US. 

I fell in love with the main characters, but all of the characters are extremely well-developed. The many story lines weave together beautifully and Pennypacker does an excellent job of making the setting feel like a character. 

This one was not for me.

This book is quite different from many historical fiction books. The reader travels through time with a sharecropper family from the Mississippi south. I was invested in the characters and wanted to see how it continued to develop. 

Obtained from Netgalley.

I read the digital galley, which did not have all the images quite yet so I did not get to see all the maps and illustrations. It is filled with really interesting facts about the staff that have supported the First Family for decades. 

Obtained from Netgalley.

Wow! A beautiful collection of old and new poems by the US Poet Laureate, Noami Shihab Nye. My faves were Always Bring a Pencil and Gate A-4. 

Obtained from Netgalley.

Currently Listening

Currently Reading

It's Monday, What Are You Reading July 1, 2019

Please visit the amazing blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers who host this terrific meme each week.

Here are a few books I have been able to read over the last couple of weeks. Click on the covers to go to the book's page on Goodreads. 

The second in the series from Kayla Miller.  The story is all too relatable and timeless as Olive and Willow struggle with their friendship at summer camp when their personalities and expectations differ. Great for middle schoolers. 

Reading fantasy is a book gap for me. The Storm Keeper's Island was a nice way to fill it a bit. This is the first in the series. For 5th grade and up. 

This is the first in the super-cute graphic novel series, Monkey and Cake. First grade is the sweet spot for this one.  

Crabtree Publishing has a whole series of these fractured fair tales. If you are looking for books for second graders who are striving readers, want something entertaining, but not too young looking, this one does the trick. 

I really like Scholastic's Acorn imprint for young readers. There are currently 3 in this series. They are in full color and are written in  short chapters. Perfect for grades 1-2. 

Currently Reading

and 

What are you reading friends? 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? April 22, 2019

Please visit the amazing blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers who host this terrific meme each week.

I have not posted an IMWAYR post in ages. 

Here are some books I have read recently. 

Currently Reading

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? January 14, 2019

Please visit the amazing blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers who host this terrific meme each week.

Here is my reading from the past few weeks. Click on the book covers to learn more about the books.

I LOVED the character of Little Charlie. 

I listened to this one on audio. So good! Grades 5+

Merci has a lot to deal with including navigating middle school and her grandfather's advancing Alzheimer's Disease. Grades 4-6.

I enjoyed this story and kids will like it as well. I wanted a bit more development and felt it moved a little too quickly. But you will want it for your classroom. Grades 4-5. 

Isabella's family becomes "blended" after her parents' divorce. She feels "blended" with a white mother and black father. Draper explores both of these aspects well. It ended abruptly in my opinion, but I did enjoy it. Grades 5-8. 

Currently Reading

Listening to...

What are you reading friends?

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? November 26, 2018

Please visit the amazing blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers who host this terrific meme each week.

Here is my reading from the past few weeks. Click on the book covers to learn more about the books.

What are you reading friends?