It’s Monday! What are you reading? Always nice to wrap up a week of reading by participating in Jen and Kellee’s meme and sharing with others all of the wonderful books read over the week. Link up and visit all of the other bloggers participating!
First of all I am so excited to celebrate that after two very busy weeks of not getting a novel completed, I have been able to steal away enough reading moments to finish Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore. I have read both Graceling and the companion book to Bitterblue, Fire and so was very pleased to dive into this young adult read. A dramatic story. More mystery and confusion than the action packed adventure of Graceling. But some seriously sad moments. Bitterblue needs to keep searching for strength and considering her upbringing, where does she get it all? She is a character that I liked more and more as I read the story. Being a young Queen is hardly easy in this Kingdom. Wonderful to revisit so many characters from Graceling. I am a definite fan of Cashore.
I have continued to source out titles from the Backyard Book series that I haven’t read yet. I just purchased a number of them for my classroom non-fiction collection. These books are ideal for students to interact with when learning to ask questions about a topic and read for more information. Ideal “Fact? React” titles. And of course, they are fantastic books for independent and buddy reading. The following three titles are written by Judy Allen and illustrated by Tudor Humphries.
Are you a Dragonfly Dragonflies are gorgeous creatures. Did you know they spent two full years in the water before coming out to live on land? And that while in the water, they can eat tadpoles and small fish?
Are you an Ant? The fascinating thing I learned from this title? Anting. There is something called anting. Who knew? Birds will pick up ants and put them under their wings so that the acid in the ant’s body will kill the ticks that bite the birds and make them itch. Fascinating.
Are you a Snail? I am not a snail. And . . . I will confess I am a gardener who does not like snails. But I do admit they are quite fascinating and when they are in a book and not in my garden, I am willing to get excited about how fascinating. I did not know how snails overwinter. Pretty cool. But still, I like snails best out of my garden! In this book is a great place for them!
The fact that this book exists is pure kismet: A Rock is Lively by Diana Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long is the fourth book I own by this amazing team (A Seed is Sleepy, An Egg is Quiet and A Butterfly is Patient are all favourites – follow the links to see how I’ve used each in the classroom before.) Now the year I have decided to teach about rocks and soil in science after collecting unique and wonderful rocks over the last year, this book is published. It is just gorgeous and I cannot wait to share it with my students! Rocks are everything: tiny and huge, old and ever changing, galactic and bejewelled. Amazing.
I read a lot of books to my class this week but no titles new to me. I did find a new title in the school library when signing out books for our guest readers to read with the students: JoJo the Giant written by Jane Barclay and illustrated by Esperanca Melo. An important little read that explores many themes: bullies, kindness, courage. JoJo is small only in stature and he demonstrates this in how he honours his Mom at the end of the story.
I am hoping to finish The Search for Wondla as a family read aloud this week and Code Name Verity is the novel I begin next.
Happy Reading everyone!
There's a Book for That 
I keep hearing about Code Name Verity-I need to add it to my TBR list! JoJo the Giant sounds like a heartwarming one.
I read 2 historical books-one fiction and one non-fiction-this week. Also started a YA book-Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst. I think I could become addicted to YA. 🙂
Shannon
http://www.irunreadteach.wordpress.com
YA fiction is a great genre. So rich and constant buzz about new titles!
Those “Are You a Snail, etc.”books sound just awesome, I must check them out.
I adore these books and find kids to be fascinated with them.
Thanks for sharing the non-fiction titles! They look great.
I am really trying to expand my non-fiction collection this year!
I adored Graceling… I really need to get the other two moved up my TBR list soon!
I was blown away when I read Graceling. Have definitely enjoyed all three.
Graceling/Bitterblue are on my to-buy pile. So many great books coming out right now it’s hard to keep up!
Absolutely. At least our TBR piles will never be empty!
Some day I will get to the Graceling series! It’s on the list, but it just isn’t making any progress towards the top.
If I could advise – read when you have a big chunk of time – like a holiday and get lost in the worlds Cashore creates.
I still haven’t gotten to Graceling yet, & here you are talking about 2 more! I’d better catch up! The non-fiction books look terrific, so now I’m wondering if our school library has some of them, plus A Rock Is Lively keeps coming up in posts & it does sound good. Thanks for all your good reviews!
Thanks Linda. I really was excited about A Rock is Lively. I’m sure your library must have some of these “Are you a ______?” They have been out for a while.
Oh, I am SO excited to read Bitterblue. I keep waiting for the library to get in the audiobooks for Graceling and Fire so I can relisten to them in order to get the full enjoyment from Bitterblue. I don’t remember the details well at all! I, too, LOVE the Aston/Long books. So beautiful.
Yes these Aston/Long titles are so special. It’s been a few years since I read Graceling. It all came back pretty quickly!
Also, Code Name Verity is AMAZING. My favorite book of the year. I hope you love it as much as I did!
The Backyard Books look awesome. What level are they?
I also taught Rocks and Minerals for years (in a few different grade levels). A Rock is Lively looks really awesome. Thanks for sharing the great non-fiction finds this week. 🙂
These Backyard Books could be read aloud from K-4 and read independently depending on child from Grade 2 up. Not too challenging but lots of facts.
Looks like some fun reading! I need to read Bitterblue! It’s so bad but it’s just so stinkin’ long that I can’t commit to reading it right now. 😦 I love Kristin Cashore though!
It is long! Which when you have a busy life, doesn’t work! Took me 3 weeks to get it done. Perfect book to indulge in when you have long chunks of the day available – summer, holidays, etc. Worth it when you get there!
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