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 novels. Follow the links to read about all of the amazing books the #IMWAYR community has read! This is always my favourite way to discover what to read next.
I read a lot of mediocre books this week – not intentionally! But many were 2/5 or 3/5 ratings. I won’t share them here.
A few were standouts however and saved my reading week!
The Tree Lady by H. Joseph Hopkins and illustrated by Jill McElmurry
I will admit that I bought this book because I have been in awe of its gorgeous cover and I knew it was about an inspirational woman who transformed an entire city. Love it for its passionate celebration of nature. For its gorgeous illustrations. Or for its important historical journey back in time beginning in the 1860s with a little girl named Katherine Olivia Sessions. A little girl who brought lush, green life to the city of San Diego. A woman who studied science when other women and girls did not. A woman who took what she had learned it and applied it in the most important of ways and brought a city to life. And oh, that cover . . .
Herman and Rosie by Gus Gordon
Just delightful. Intricate, amusing illustrations. A tribute to New York City, “groovy jazz music” and the importance of finding the one that “gets you”. Herman and Rosie is a treasure. A book that my students loved but so did my Dad. Something for everyone, that’s for sure. I think this book is like a bottle of fine wine – it just gets better with age. However, it should not sit on a dusty shelf. It should be explored and pored over multiple times. Read my student’s reviews here.
Other books I enjoyed:
Two of Everything by Lily Toy Hong
Full of humour and fantasy, this story is all about a magical pot that makes double anything that is dropped inside of it. Double the coins, double the purses, even double the people! A perfect math book to inspire some work with doubles!
Strega Nona’s Gift by Tomie dePaola
Ah, Strega Nona and Big Anthony- such endearing characters. This story captures a month long series of holiday festivals in Italy beginning with the Feast of San Nicola on December 6th.
All-I’ll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll written by Patricia C. McKissack and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
Set in the Depression, this story explores the importance of family. Three sisters long for a store bought doll in times when money is very scarce. The doll does not bring them the happiness they imagined, but they learn the value of time together.
I have continued reading a holiday picture book every evening to my children as part of our book advent experience. These are the titles we read this week:
I finished Matched written by Ally Condie
A dystopian YA novel that was a pleasant surprise. Yes, there are themes/similarities to other novels in this genre but enough felt fresh and interesting enough to really hold my attention. I have Crossed, the next in the series ready to begin tonight and look forward to reading it! Many philosophical questions pondered by the main characters. Not a book of extreme action – more an in your head kind of read.
There's a Book for That 
Love the idea of a Christmas advent. Can I have a final week countdown??? I needed a couple of books to get me to the Amazon shipping deal. I’m ordering Herman and Rosie. Thank you, as always!
You won’t be disappointed. Herman and Rosie is a real treat! And yes, countdown is on!
Love the books you are reading for Christmas, Carrie. I forgot to share it, but try to find Trina Schart Hyman’s Star Mother’s Youngest Child-one of our favorites! I don’t know if I’ll ever get to Matched, but you’ve made me remember it’s on my long, long list! Thanks too for the picture book ideas. Herman & Rosie sounds terrific! Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays to you as well Linda! It has been a lot of fun sharing a holiday story with my children every night. In addition, we are powering through our novel – thanks to my #nerdlution goal!
I NEED to read Herman and Rosie. That sounds like a book right up my alley.
You really do! It is fantastic!
Oh, The Tree Lady looks like a must add to my classroom library collection! I love your sweet Christmas story advent…someday I will be able to do that at home 🙂 Have you read Yoon and the Christmas Mitten? I love that one! Have a great week! Stay sane at school!
Wishing you that same sanity! One more week! I don’t know Yoon and the Christmas Mitten. So many lovely holiday books. I need to look for this! Thanks
Tree Lady – Oooooo – that looks amazing! Herman and Rosie another must have – and your students certainly gave it rave reviews! So cool that Gus Gordon responded to your kids comments! Great Joy and Finding Christmas – both books I will add to my Christmas lists! Thank you! Hope you survive the hectic last week before the holidays! We are singing carols in the halls this morning!
We loved Herman and Rosie. Gordon is such a “groovy” author/illustrator. What a treat this book was for us! And yes, delightful that he responded!
I’ve really been wanting to read Tree Lady. Hoping my library gets it! I have GOT to stop buying every book I want to read! 🙂 Isn’t it odd how some weeks are filled with mediocre books? I had a big stack of older PBs to read to my son last night, but after Five Little Monkeys and Salt, we decided to stop. I just couldn’t bear another book that we weren’t going to enjoy! Luckily, except for those two, most everything else we read was 4/5 or 5/5 this week. We started the 3rd Alvin Ho this morning and I’m enjoying it quite a bit. I read Matched and Crossed last year. I liked Matched and agree that it was different enough from others in that genre to offer something new and fresh. I may try to finish the series over winter break. I have a hard time pushing myself through trilogies and series, not sure why. So many new things to read, I guess! Enjoy your week! Hope it’s filled with 5/5 books!
What a lovely wish – for a 5/5 book week. Thank you. I am going to try and be selective and ensure that happens! Tree Lady is so great – I swooned with the cover and had to own it. But you are right, the book buying can get a little crazy. It is my true indulgence all of this book shopping!
Great Joy and Finding Christmas look absolutely beautiful. It’s the first time I’m seeing these titles. Will include Tree Lady to the text-set I’d be introducing to my teacher-students for next semester, and will ask our librarian to get a copy (I don’t think we have it in our libraries here yet). Herman and Rosie also looks delightful. Will try to find that one.
Tree Lady is a wonderfully inspiring read. I think you would love it Myra. And I can gush and gush about Herman and Rosie! Happy reading this week!
Great reading week (I know I’m a week behind on commenting…) I loved Tree Lady. I loved the illustrations. Some day I’ll read Matched… my TBR pile is a monster!
Oh I get the monstrous TBR pile! The curse of avid readers I think!