It’s Monday! What are you reading?
Join Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers and share all of the reading you have done over the week from picture books to young adult reads! Follow the links to read about all of the amazing books the #IMWAYR community has read!
I read a really diverse selection of picture books this week. Sharing my favourites here:
Just in Case: A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book by Yuyi Morales
Well, I know all of about three words in Spanish (in Canada, we learn French as a second language) so this was a huge adventure for me. The reader gets to follow Señor Calvera, the skeleton from Day of the Dead celebrations as he rides along to Grandma Beetle’s birthday celebration. What gift is the perfect one? We get to sample possibilities from every letter of the Spanish alphabet. My favourite ideas? Una Escalera (a ladder to reach past the sky), Niebla (fog to play hide and seek in) and un Ombligo (a bread called belly button). What does he finally decide on? You must read to find out!
Scaredy Squirrel prepares for Halloween by Melanie Watt
Arranged in chapter book format, this title is an absolutely sought after commodity in my classroom. Only Scaredy Squirrel would need to prepare a “How to manage Halloween” manual. And he leaves nothing to chance! Loved the page on Getting to Know Your Halloween Candy!
Ah Ha! by Jeff Mack
Nearly wordless – the entire story is told using “A” and “H” (Ha Ha, Ahh, Ah Ha, you get the picture) and a number of brilliant illustrations which call on young readers to predict, infer and smile their way to the end of the book. A little frog is chased through these pages by a young frog collector and a number of dangerous predators! Who will get the last HA?!
The Snatchabook written by Helen Docherty and illustrated by Thomas Docherty
I think I want to give this gift to every new parent I know. It is a beautiful tribute to the important before bed read aloud experience shared together, snuggled close. What if you have nobody to read to you? What if you desperately wanted your own story time? Would you resort to being a book thief? This book explores these questions. Read my students’ reviews here.
Bee & Bird by Craig Frazier
If I could, I would make this suggestion for this wordless title. Go through it once and try to pay close attention. Go through it again and pay better attention. If things aren’t becoming clear, read it through again thinking “Is this what it seems?” Quite brilliant. Worthy of many reads and rereads as this little adventure of bee and bird is unveiled.
Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animals’ Lives written by Lola Schaefer and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
Wow! Wow and wow! I think this book leaped into my hands at the bookstore and called to me. It went something like this, “How will you enjoy me? Let me count the ways!” There is counting and estimating and wondering and a whole bunch of other mathematical applications – rounding, multiplying, dividing, adding, subtracting, using fractions, understanding averages thinking about mean and median. But, this book is also a nonfiction title that reveals fascinating animal facts like – an alligator will lay over 550 eggs in one lifetime. Oh and . . . . Christopher Silas Neal (of the amazing illustrations in Over and Under the Snow)? So are you sold yet? The back of the book has much more information about each animal depicted in the first section – information about lifespan and other details that allow you to do all of the amazing math that this book inspires.
This title also happens to be my 60th nonfiction picture book read in 2013 which was the goal I made back in January when I joined Alyson Beecher‘s Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge!
And, yes, I did take this book home. Don’t you . . . when titles speak out so convincingly?
The First Drawing by Mordicai Gerstein
Inspired by questions and wondering about the discovery of cave paintings 30,000 years old. Gerstein thought what if . . . ? and this book came to be. Captivating.
In other reading . . .
I finished Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord
A quiet middle grade read that poses questions about family, belonging and finding home.
Finished reading Marty McGuire Digs Worms by Kate Messner to my class (read a selection of student reviews here). We are excited to begin a new chapter book read aloud this week.
I just began reading the short stories in The Chronicles of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg to my children even though we have another novel on the go and keep getting sidetracked by beautiful nonfiction titles I bring home.
Up next for me? I am reading Ivy & Bean #7 What’s the Big Idea so I can book talk it to students this week – it also has a saving the Earth theme like the Marty McGuire title. I am starting Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan tonight! Have been excited to read this title.
What are you reading?!
There's a Book for That 
Well, you know I love The Snatchabook so adorable. I am definitely interested in The First Drawing. I can visualize the type of discussions prompted by this book. Counting by 7’s was just nominated for the Texas Bluebonnet Award.
Yes, The First Drawing is superb for discussion starters. I had heard of this recent award for Counting by 7s – saw it via twitter.
I can’t believe I’ve never read THE SNATCHBOOK before. I need to remedy that soon!
AH HA! Looks like my kind of book. Requesting that one right now!
Ah Ha! is very fun – like Hug by Jez Alborough – few words, big story.
Like Julee, The First Drawing really intrigues me. I love learning about ancient history (through books). Were there words in this one?
Yes, it is done in a sort of this might have happened this way style. I found it really interesting – read it to my 11 year olds and they had lots of questions. Definitely interesting!
Had to put the numbers book in my Amazon cart! Looks so interesting! What are you reading next for read-aloud? Marty Maguire is so fun! I just got Counting by 7s a couple of weeks ago. Might read it next, now that I’ve finished The Thing about Luck. I love Yuyi Morales’s art! I would like to step into her paintings and live in those rich colors!
We just started The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis. I adore reading Barbara O’Connor aloud. Kids already intrigued with first chapter today! Yes, I think Lifetime is a must own title! Hope you enjoy!
I need to read touch blue – Rules is still a classroom favorite.
She is a really wonderful writer – characters are so believable and far from perfect. So much learning from their mistakes.
I love Lifetime! I haven’t read it slowly yet, just flipped through and had to resist stealing it from a friend 😉 It’s her book, I guess she can use it first. And now I want Snatchabook!
Snatchabook just might inspire some thieving! Lifetime is quite amazing -I;m thinking about how it will inspire math discussion. The back pages explain all of the mathematical figuring. Very interesting!
Wonderful new titles, Carrie! I am particularly fascinated by Lifetime – it looks AMAZING! Snatchabook is also new for me and is now on my “must have” list! Bee and Bird too! I want them ALL! Thanks for all of these! Happy Halloween week!
Lifetime is just a WOW title. It will make you want to teach math or write a book inspired by this book . . . hmm . . . .
I bought The Snatchabook last week, Carrie, am reading it to a group of five year olds tomorrow! Do you know that I sit with your post & keep writing titles down! Thanks for all. The animal number book looks fabulous! I also liked hearing about the Spanish book-will share it with our Spanish teacher too. Thanks much!
I would love to hear how the reading of Snatchabook goes – such a beautiful title to read aloud! I am so pleased that you are able to find some new titles and some inspiration!
One of my students will adore Ah Ha! I might even have to get 2 copies, because I know he’ll love it. In fact, I think I’ll just order all these picture books now. Thanks for sharing!
Ah Ha! is a very fun title! So pleased you found some titles of interest! 🙂
Thank you… excited about Lifetime and The First Drawing… both will fit a unit for some classrooms…
Both wonderful. Hope you enjoy!
Hello there Carrie! I have The Chronicles of Harris Burdick for the longest time but haven’t read it yet. I think I should especially for this holiday season. Snatchabook sounds like something I would truly love and enjoy. I love knowing more wordless titles through you. Lifetime sounds like an amazing nonfiction title. I should find that one. I’ve been looking for math-themed book titles. The First Drawing reminded me of Raymond Briggs’ UG: Boy Genius from the Stone Age. Have you read that one yet? Amazing.
Myra I am reading one story a night with my children – so far, we are enjoying them. Short stories are not a genre we often do so it is interesting. I think you would love both Snatchabook and Lifetime! I don’t know this Raymond Briggs title. Thanks for mentioning!