It's Monday, What Are You Reading? July 22, 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. 

This one was not exactly my cup of tea, but many kids will like it. Grades 2-4. 

So glad I found this series from Capstone. Great for late 2nd to early 4th. 

Daisy finds that she can talk to animals in this delightful series. Grades 2-4. 

Really sweet story to add to your collection of #Ownvoices.

Currently Reading

Up Next?

What are you reading friends? 

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? 

Double or Nothing with the Two and Only Kelly Twins by Johanna Hurwitz

Double or Nothing with the Two and Only Kelly Twins 
by Johanna Hurwitz
Illustrated by Tuesday Mourning
Published April, 2017
Candlewick Press
80 pages
Review advanced reader copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary
Arlene and Ilene love so many things about being identical twins. They like sharing a room, sharing friends, and wearing matching outfits. But they're in different classes at school, and one twin has a scar that the other one doesn't. One morning, their friends Monty and Joey point out a new difference that takes the sisters by surprise and gets them thinking: if they are identical twins, why are there differences between them at all?Their tongues must be the same, so why do they like different kinds of ice cream? Why does Arlene wear pink nail polish while Ilene thinks it's silly? Why is Ilene sleeping soundly when Arlene is awake, wondering how she can be sure that she isArlene, not Ilene? Revisit the funny, lovable characters from The Two and Only Kelly Twins and take a peek at the wonders -- and puzzles -- of being an identical twin. 

My Thoughts
The Kelly twins, Arlene and Ilene, return in their second book. These second graders love being identical twins. They dress alike and wear their hair the same way so it can be hard for others to tell them apart. 
When another student notices that the girls look different one day, they realize that one of them lost a tooth overnight. For once, the Kelly Twins did not look exactly alike. Then they end up having separate sleep overs and, although they were nervous, it all went fine. Maybe they could be different every now and then. One time, I think they might not have minded being different was when head lice went through the classroom and unfortunately, both girls, as well as most of the class, end up getting it. These experiences planted the idea that maybe the sisters didn't always have to be exactly alike. 

I would recommend this book, and series, for kids in grades 2-4. 

See what others have to say about this book:
Kirkus
Kidlit Frenzy

Lola Levine is NOT Mean by Monica Brown

Lola Levine is Not Mean 
by Monica Brown
Published 2015
Little Brown Books for Young Readers
96 pages
Review advanced reader copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

Lola loves writing in her diario and playing soccer with her team, the Orange Smoothies. But when a soccer game during recess gets "too competitive," Lola accidentally hurts her classmate Juan Gomez. Now everyone is calling her Mean Lola Levine! Lola feels horrible, but with the help of her family and her super best friend, Josh Blot, she learns how to navigate the second grade in true Lola fashion--with humor and the power of words. 

My Thoughts

I love discovering new books and series for grades 2-3 and for my 4th graders who need a less complex text. The story is simple and follows a predictable pattern which young readers will find comforting. Lola's entries in her diario help tell part of the story as do the letters and notes from her mother, brother and her classmates. There are plenty of illustrations to support the text. Since Lola is hispanic, there are Spanish words and phrases presented throughout the text. She also shows her Jewish heritage by eating matzo ball soup and using the phrase shalom at the end of her letters.

Lola is a strong character who loves sports and is not afraid to show her competitive side. She is a great big sister and a loyal friend. I think young readers will enjoy this series. 

Read what others have to say about this book.
Kirkus
Kidsreads
Publishers Weekly

Dory Fantasmagory by Abby Hanlon

Dory Fantasmagory 
by Abby Hanlon
Published 2014 by Dial Publishing
160 Pages
Early Chapter Book
Fiction
Copy obtained from public library

Goodreads Summary
To say that six-year-old Dory has a wildly creative imagination is an understatement. Her family calls her Rascal because she pesters them with too many questions and is a general pest to her brother and sister. She has developed a rich imaginary life with her imaginary best friend Mary. In an attempt to get her to stop acting "like a baby" her siblings tell her that a person name Mrs. Gobble Gracker is looking for her. Mrs. Gobble Gracker eats babies so they warn Dory to stop acting like a baby.  This only fuels Dory's imagination further as she starts firing questions about Mrs. Gobble Gracker. 
Can Dory escape Mrs. Gobble Gracker? Will she stop acting like a baby? 

My Thoughts
Dory is adorable! This book is filled with Dory's real and imaginary events. She plots to escape Mrs. Gobble Gracker, annoys her siblings to no end, goes through a phase where she pretends to be a dog, yells and has lots of temper tantrums. Fans of Junie B. Jones or Clementine will love Dory. At 160 pages with lots of hilarious kid-like pictures to support the text, this early chapter book will feel like a "big kid book".  I can imagine many children wanting to tell about the next crazy thing Dory has done in their book. I hope for many more Dory books to come. 

A Review of Bramble and Maggie: Spooky Season by Jessie Haas

Bramble and Maggie: Spooky Season
by Jessie Haas
Illustrated by Alison Friend
Published 2014 by Candlewick Press
Early Chapter Book
Fiction
56 Pages
Review copy obtained from publisher. 

Goodreads Summary
In their third adventure, Bramble and Maggie explore a new season together — fall! Leaves crunch underfoot. Acorns ping off rooftops. It all makes Bramble feel wonderfully spooky. But Bramble’s frisky-pretend-scary gait makes Maggie jumpy, and soon Bramble really is nervous. There are alarming new sights and sounds everywhere, like Mr. Dingle’s scarecrow. When Maggie takes a fall, will she want to get back in the saddle? And when Halloween comes, can Maggie trust Bramble to brave the tricks and lead them both safely to the treats?

My Thoughts

If you know a child, ages 5-8, who loves horses, this is a must-have series. With the perfect ratio of text to pictures, this series is perfect for children who are ready ease into the world of chapter books. Younger children who are not ready to read it on their own, will enjoy hearing the story read to them while looking at the big, colorful illustrations. 

In this third book of the series, the horse Bramble gets a bit spooked by all of the Halloween decorations and costumes. After Maggie falls off him, she must decide is she has the courage to get back on. Maggie demonstrates resiliency, courage and trust making this book a wonderful springboard into some deeper conversations in class and at home.  

I would definitely recommend this series for young readers. The first two books (Bramble and Maggie: Horse Meets Girl and Bramble and Maggie: Give and Take) are also available now. 

Want more books about horses? Jessie Haas uses her tremendous knowledge of horses in many books. Visit her website here.

Visit Alison Friend's website here.  

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?-March 17, 2014

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

Again, two weeks have passed since my last #IMWAYR post. I have been super-busy at school with conferences and equally busy at home. Here is what I managed to read in the last two weeks. 

Picture Books-Fiction

Papa's Mechanical Fish

by Candace Flemming

Illustrated by Boris Kulikov

Neat story where children watch their father try to build many inventions that don't seem to work. Finally with everyone's help, lots of trials and many errors, he builds a "submarine".

Picture Books-Nonfiction

Helen's Big World

by Doreen Rappaport

Illustrated by Matt Tavares

I love books about Helen Keller. This one is beautiful!

Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile

by Gloria Huston

Illustrated by Susan Condie Lamb

This true story of a librarian who wanted a real, brick library, but ended up traveling in her bookmobile is touching. A great book for any book lover. 

Poetry

Poems to Learn by Heart

by Caroline Kennedy

This poetry collection would be a nice addition to any library. It is filled with classic poems and is organized into several categories. There should be something for everyone in this lovely compilation. 

Early Chapter Books

Greetings from Somewhere: The Mystery of the Gold Coin

by Harper Paris

Illustrated by Marco Calo

This series is new to me. Although not a lot happens, I think young kiddos will enjoy reading a real chapter book. It has lots if pictures and large print. Grades 2-3

The Notebook of Doom: Rise of the Balloon Goons

by Troy Cummings

I really love this series for young or developing readers. I plan to review it further in a future post. Grades 2-4

Professional Book

I finished....

Teach Like a Pirate

by Dave Burgess

There are so many tips offered in this book to energize your teaching. Highly recommend it!

Still Reading...

A Snicker of Magic

by Natalie Lloyd

Our lunchtime book club is enjoying this book very much!

What Are YOU Reading Friends?

Stack-It-Up Sunday-March 16, 2014

Each stack has its own story. 

It seems that most Sundays I don't have anything in particular to talk about, but I always have stacks of books. If you didn't read my Celebration post about book piles, you can find it here. 

Here are some of my current stacks.

This is an early chapter book series that I picked up at our school book fair. 

It is called The Notebook of Doom series. 

I won this set of books from a Biblionasium giveaway.  There were 5 books, but I gave 2 away. 

I used my Books-A-Million gift card from one of my students to purchase 2 more early chapter books from the Greetings from Somewhere series and Ken Jennings' book about Greek Mythology. 

What's in YOUR stack?

It's Monday-What Are You Reading? December 9, 2013

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

I read a bunch of picture books and early readers this week. Most were read in an attempt to be a more informed voter for the 2013 Nerdies.  Click here to see the amazing list of contenders. 

Picture Books
Fiction

Ribbit 
by Rodrigo Folguiera
Illustrated by Poly Bernatene
Cute book about a pig who thinks he's a frog, much to the dismay of the frog in the pond. 

Tea Party Rules

by Amy Dyckman

Illustrated by K. G. Campbell

A real bear just wants a few cookies, but gets more than he bargains for at this tea party when the little girl mistakes him for her teddy. 

Someday

by Alison McGhee

Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

A sweet story to share with new parents.  

Be warned, it's a real tear-jerker. I was crying in the stacks at the book store, not pretty. 

Picture Books 

Nonfiction

Frog Song

by Brenda Guiberson

Illustrated by Gennady Spirin

In this beautifully illustrated book, the reader will learn about the different sounds frogs make around the world.

Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors?: the Story of Elizabeth Blackwell

by Tanya Lee Stone

Illustrated by Marjorie Priceman

This book is a new favorite nonfiction picture book.  Great example of "girl power". 

Look Up: Bird-watching in Your Own Backyard

by Annette LeBlanc Cate

I know nothing about bird-watching so this book was perfect for me. The format is graphic novelish with lots of pictures and captions.  It is entertaining as well as informative. 

Early Chapter Books/Early Readers

Penny and Her Marble

by Kevin Henkes

This was my first Penny book and it was great.  I can see kids in grades 1-2 loving this series. In this book Penny struggles with her own conscience when she picks up a marble on the sidewalk and takes it home.

Ling and Ting: Nit Exactly the Same

by Grace Lin

I love Grace Lin as a middle grade/YZ author so I was excited about this book.  I really took to these two characters.  It is set up like a chapter book with few sentences in each chapter.  Again, great for grades 1-2. 

A Big Guy Took My Ball

by Mo Willems

I have an author crush on Mo Willems.  I love the Elephant and Piggie books.  This book explores big and small in the cutest way. 

I'm a Frog

by Mo Willems

Kids will be excited to play pretend after reading this Elephant and Piggie book.  

Bowling Alley Bandit

by Laurie Keller

Young kids will like it for its humor, pictures and silliness, but it was not for me.  

Middle Grade/YA

Counting by 7s

by Holly Goldberg Sloan

I'm not sure if I would categorize this book as middle grade or YA, but I loved it.  You will fall in love with Willow Chance.  A touching story of loss, love, family and courage. 

Currently Reading

Better Nate than Ever

by Tim Federle

I am only 2 chapters into this book, but I am enjoying it so far. 

The Energy to Teach

by Donald H. Graves

Donald Graves shed light on a big problem for many teachers, burnout and loss of energy.  Really liking it so far. 

It's Monday, What Are Your Reading- April 15, 2013

Please visit the amazing blog: Teach Mentor Texts 

who host this terrific meme each week. 

I enjoyed several great books this week!

Click on the title to go to the book's Goodreads page.

Picture Books

The Sandwich Swap

by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah 

and Kelly DiPucchino  Illustrated by Tricia Tusa

Two best friends get in an argument over what the other eats for lunch.  They learn about their cultures by tasting each other's sandwich.  Nice story about friendship and accepting differences.

Supersister

by Beth Cadena  Illustrated by Frank W. Dormer 

This is a nice story to share with a soon-to-be big sister.  Supersister does great things throughout the day such as reading a story by herself and helping out around the house.  

Nugget and Fang

by Tammi Sauer  Illustrated by Michael Slack

I was lucky enough to win a signed copy of this book in a recent giveaway!  It is the story of best friends, Nugget the fish and Fang the shark.  The two don't realize they are not supposed to be friends until Nugget starts school.  Many of the lesson are about how dangerous sharks are and to avoid them.  Nugget doesn't understand this and tries to defend his friend.  In the end, Shark proves he is helpful and a very good friend indeed. 

The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School

by Laurie Halse Anderson  Illustrated by Ard Hoyt

I enjoyed this story of Zoe's hair that has a mind of its own.  Zoe's first grade teacher is trying to show that there are rules in first grade and won't put up with Zoe's hair messing up the room. Finally, her hair becomes helpful during a science lesson and her teacher starts to accept it.  The illustrations are very well done.

Auntie Yang's Great Soybean Picnic
by Ginnie Lo  Illustrated by Beth Lo
A very sweet true story of a wonderful family tradition.  


Early Chapter Books

Rabbit and Robot The Sleepover
by Cece Bell
Adorable story of friendship and compromise.

 
Bink an Gollie Best Friends Forever
by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee  Illustrated by Tony Fucile
Who doesn't love Bink and Gollie?  In this latest installment, Gollie discovers she is descended from royalty, can their friendship survive?

Graphic Novels

 

Babymouse Puppy Love

by Jennifer Holm and Matt Holm

This is the 8th Babymouse book.  Babymouse is looking for the perfect pet after yet another one of her fish dies. When she finds a lost dog, she thinks her search is over. This book is entertaining.  It is a short read and I would imagine grades 2-4 enjoying it.

Middle Grade

I finished listening to...

 

Ungifted 

by Gordon Korman

This book is one the 2013-2014 Maine Student Book Award.

I gave it a 4 star rating.  It is the story of Donovan, a miscevious middle schooler who gets sent to the "gifted academy" by accident. It quicky becomes clear that he is a fish out of water.  However, Donovan's sense of humor, laid back attitude and lack of regard for rules is like a breath of fresh air for the academy.  Readers in 4-6 will especially enjoy this book about acceptance, preconceived notions and true friendship. 

Currently Reading

The Water Castle

by Megan Frazer Blakemore

Loving it!!

When the Butterflies Came

by Kimberly Griffiths Little

Reading aloud with my daughter.

What are you reading friends??

Post from last week: 

A Review of This Journal Belongs to Ratchet 

by Nancy J. Cavanaugh