I Want to Read ALL the Books by Debbie Ohi

I Want to Read ALL the Books 

by Debbie Ohi

Expected Publication

Sept. 17, 2024

Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Hardcover

48 Pages

Fiction

Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

An insatiably curious girl decides the only way to answer all her questions is to read all the books in this funny and charming picture book in the spirit of The Library Fish and Tom Chapin’s The Library Book.Hana wants to know everything about the world around her. When she starts asking questions, her mother gives her a book. She learns so much, but now she has even more questions! She also has a big she will read all the books—every single one! She reads every book in her house…and then her friends’ houses…and then the whole block. Nonfiction, fiction, romance, mysteries, and science fiction. But when her mother takes her to the downtown library, she realizes there are a lot more books than she thought…way more. Maybe she can’t really read all the books—now what?

My Thoughts

What book lover can't relate to Hana's desire to tread ALL the books? She started with a list of questions and then she read books to find the answers to the questions which, inevitably, led to more questions. I won't spoil the ending, but when she realizes that she won't be able to read ALL the books in the world, she needs to see how she can still read lots of books, but then she realizes she can also share the love of reading. 

I can see lots of lists of questions being created in classrooms after reading this book. I can't wait to read it to students in my library. 

Visit Debbie Ohi's website to learn more about the making of this book. 

A Child of Books by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston

A Child of Books 
by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston
Published Sept. 2016
Candlewick Press
40 Pages
Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

A little girl sails her raft across a sea of words, arriving at the house of a small boy and calling him away on an adventure. Through forests of fairy tales and across mountains of make-believe, the two travel together on a fantastical journey that unlocks the boy’s imagination. Now a lifetime of magic and adventure lies ahead of him . . . but who will be next? 

Combining elegant images by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston’s typographical landscapes shaped from excerpts of children’s classics and lullabies, A Child of Books is a stunning prose poem on the rewards of reading and sharing stories—an immersive and unforgettable reading experience that readers will want to pass on to others.

My Thoughts

Let me make this perfectly clear, if you love books, you need this gorgeous new picture book for your collection.  It is a beautiful reminder of the power and magic of words. Words and book text from classic children's stories are woven into the pages and are part of the illustrations. Everywhere you look there are words! Even the end pages are covered in quotes from books! It is hard for me to adequately describe how breathtaking it is so please take a moment to watch the book trailer and you will see what I mean.

Jeffers and Winston remind us how reading can impact our world.

Share it with the book lover in your life!

I am so excited to share it with my 4th graders! I can just see them poring over the pages right now! 

Pair with:

  

Visit the book's webpage. 

See what others have to say about this book:

School Library Journal (starred review)

Kids Reads

Kirkus (starred review)

A Review of Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Fish in a Tree
by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Expected Publication February 5, 2015. 
Nancy Paulsen Books
288 pages
Disclosure: Review copy provided by the publisher. 

My 12 year-old daughter Molly and I recently finished reading Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. Our love for Lynda and her first novel, One for the Murphys, is no secret (see our Nerdy Book Club Post). She is a wonderful author and an amazing person. When I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced copy of Fish in a Tree, we were thrilled to say the least.

Molly made me promise not to read ANY of it without her. She wanted to read it aloud like we did with Murphys. This was tough for me because I was dying to read it, but I'm glad we were able to experience it together. 

It took us a while to finish reading this book, only because Molly kept wanting to stop to discuss what was happening. She had many questions and comments. "Why were Shay and Jessica so mean? I love Keisha! This happens at my school too." Etc. But I would not have had it any other way. Stopping to discuss the story deepened our experience and connection to the book. 

Ally is a girl who misbehaves in school to hide the fact that she can't read. Finally Mr. Daniels becomes her teacher. Although she needs to deal with teasing and humiliation from the awful Shay and her cronies, things are about to change for Ally. Mr. Daniels is the kind of teacher who sees the potential in every student. He notices that Ally is a talented artist and is great at solving problems with logic and critical thinking. Through his observations and assessments, Mr. Daniels realizes that Ally has dyslexia. Finally she has an explanation for why the letters seem to float around on the page and why she gets headaches while reading. Through hard work, faith and grit, Ally begin the arduous, but rewarding task of learning to read in a way that works for her brain.
I love Mr. Daniels. Every child should be lucky enough to have such a dedicated teacher who believes wholeheartedly in their success.

Throughout the school year, Ally has developed a friendship with the spunky and outspoken Keisha and brilliant, but quirky Albert. Through this friendship each one of them learns about their true gifts and what real friendship feels like. They learn that they are capable of things they never dreamed possible and that indeed, great minds don't think alike. 

Fish in a Tree is a wonderful middle grade novel. From my experience with Molly I can also say that it would make a great read aloud. I will definitely be reading it to my 4th graders. It would also make a fabulous book group, book club or independent reading book. Students will love this story of resilience, hope, individuality and friendship. 

Lynda Mullaly Hunt has a gift. She is able to create characters that you fall in love with and stories that live on in your heart. 
Fish in a Tree is expected to be published in February of 2015, but it will be worth the wait. 

See what others are saying about Fish in a Tree. 
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Finding Ways for All Kids to Flourish
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