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. The best way to grow your TBR list!
I have been busy writing many blog posts to celebrate a lot of literacy related events in my classroom. Blog highlights include:
On my classroom blog Curiosity Racers, I shared about our amazing Skype experience with author Liesl Shurtliff and a photo heavy thank you to the Writers’ Exchange. On this blog, I shared the process of how we got a book full of student stories published through working with the Writers’ Exchange.
My very favourite of the picture books I read:
Ma Jiang and the Orange Ants written by Barbara Ann Porte and illustrated by Annie Cannon
Sorry for the blurry image – had trouble finding an image online (the book was published in 2000) This book is a great read aloud for listeners who can handle a longer title. Set in China many years ago we meet the Ma family who makes a living selling orange ants to the orange growers who use the ants in their orange groves to protect their fruit from insects (the ants eat the pests not the fruit). When Jiang’s father and older brothers are called to serve in the Emperor’s Army, how will the family survive? A fascinating story of ingenuity, history and family ties. My children found this story fascinating when I read it aloud to them.
Max’s Magic Seeds written by Geraldine Elschner and illustrated by Jean-Pierre Corderoch
This book totally speaks to me. A botanist uncle with huge bags of flower seeds. Guerilla gardening of sorts. Making joy and community happen one blossom at a time. Would be great to pair with The Curious Garden by Peter Brown.
Ruby’s Wish written by Shirin Yim Bridges and illustrated by Sophie Blackall
I love this title! One little girl in a prosperous Chinese family wants an education like her brothers and male cousins, not a future that includes marriage and motherhood. Based on the life of the author’s grandmother. A beautiful example of a little girl who speaks up and the grandfather who hears her.
The Pigeon Needs a Bath by Mo Willems
Oh my, my, this pigeon! He is channeling all children who resist, resist, resist the bath and then, absolutely refuse to get out. My children still do this!
Found by Salina Yoon
I read this at the bookstore the other day and it was all I could do to leave it in the store. Absolutely adorable. So sweet that the bear tries so hard to find the owner of the lost rabbit he finds. Can he help it if on this search, he becomes very attached? Sometimes things are just meant to be. There sure is a lot of doing the right thing in this book! 🙂
Hi, Koo! by Jon J Muth
I have only one complaint. It is absolutely impossible to pick a favourite poem. Can’t even narrow it to top three. And the illustrations . . . sigh!
Dare the Wind written by Tracey Fern and illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully
What a fantastic biography for our nonfiction collections. This book tells the story of Eleanor Prentiss who broke the world record for sailing from New York City to San Francisco around the tip of Cape Horn and its treacherous waters. In 1851, a female navigator was unheard of let alone one that could sail at record speeds. A fantastic story of adventure, determination and absolute bravery.
Finished just one novel
All That’s Missing by Sarah Sullivan
I really enjoyed this middle grade novel about Arlo, an eleven year old boy living with his grandfather who is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. With nobody else to care for him when his grandfather ends up in the hospital, Arlo searches for an estranged grandmother who might be able to help. All about finding family, making friends and creating home.
What’s up next? I am just about to begin Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee.
Reading Goal updates:
2014 Chapter Book Challenge: 36/100 novels complete
Goodeads Challenge: 228/650 books read
#MustReadin2014: 15/30 complete
Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 61/65 complete
There's a Book for That 
You have posted a wide range of book choices today. There is something for every taste. I would select Dare the Wind for my cup of tea. Adventure and biography too-what other reading could be better?
It is a fabulous read. I read it to my children a few nights ago and both were fascinated by it. Great history.
What amazing titles. My husband is going to kill me when that brown box arrives later this week but I have to have Ma Jiang, Max’s Magic Seeds, and Hi Koo! Thank you for sharing!
Good choices! Sometimes books speak to us. It can’t be helped!
Hi Carrie. Great books this week! I am very interested in All That’s Missing. I have requested The Pigeon Needs a Bath from my library. Found looks absolutely adorable! Enjoy your week!
Thanks Gigi. All That’s Missing was really enjoyable. I hope you like it. I am excited to share The Pigeon needs a bath with my class this week.
I think my granddaughters will like Found, Carrie. Much to choose from here, & thanks for sharing Dare The Wind and All That’s Missing-both look terrific. Have a great week!
Found is very sweet for younger readers. I can see it becoming a favourite. I think you would really like All That’s Missing. It explores a lot of family issues – I loved the setting and characters.
How have I not come across “Dare the Wind “? I love McCully’s books, especially because she writes about forgotten women so often – trailblazers who have somehow not made it into the history books. I also want to read “All That’s Missing ” – it sounds beautiful, and so many of my students have relatives who are suffering from Alzheimers…truly sad. Thanks for sharing these gems today, Carrie!
So pleased you found some titles that look good to you. Dare the Wind is fantastic. It really speaks to following your passion even when so much gender bias is going against you. All That’s Missing is important – quiet and character driven. I liked it a lot.
Some great books this week, Carrie! I adore Selina Yoon – Found as so sweet. I also love Hi, Koo. I don’t know your first three books – but all three would be great to add to our library. Max’s Seeds is particularly appealing! And of course – who can resist Mo’s Pigeon books! Have a wonderful week!
I think you would love Max’s Seeds! It would speak to the gardening spirit in you! Yes, Found is particularly charming. I can’t believe I resisted it.
I see many of my favorite titles here but some new ones too. Thank you for this wonderful list, Carrie.
So glad that you also found some new to you titles. Thanks Margie.
Dare the Wind looks great! I loved Hi, Koo! 🙂 I’m going to put All That is Missing on my TBR list. Thanks for sharing!
All That’s Missing is really a great read. I can see it really speaking to some kids who are trying to make sense of aging grandparents.
I just won a copy of Hi, Koo! last week and received it in the mail on Saturday. I absolutely love this book, but I think my favorite of the Muth books with these panda characters is Zen Ties. Such a beautiful, symbolic story.
Muth’s illustrations are just so incredible. I love all that he does.
Looks like some great titles! I got Found from the library and then had to go buy it!! It’s a book that must be shared 🙂
I can understand needing to own it. I am trying to resist . . .
I think I just got Ruby’s Wish in my most recent book order. I will have to read it soon. I loved the newest Pigeon book and Hi, Koo is just fabulous. You’re right, it’s too hard to pick a favorite.
Ruby’s Wish is an important title about the importance of education for both boys and girls. Thinking of reading it this week to my class.
Some wonderful books here. Will have to add them all to my ever growing list, especially Dare the Wind!
It is a wonderful read for so many reasons!
I immediately pinned your PBB – I might have mentioned that I am collecting PBBs for my conference presentation later this year, sounds like a wonderful addition to my growing list, thanks dear Carrie! Two of your titles here would likewise be perfect for our current reading theme. I am excited to find Ruby’s Wish in our library, we had Shirin Bridges as one of our speakers for AFCC last year. Ma Jiang looks great too, will hunt for both books in our library hopefully this weekend.
Hi Myra – So glad that you found some titles here of interest. Dare the Wind is such a great book. I will send you another picture book biography list via twitter. Ruby’s Wish is powerful. Enjoy!
Dare the Wind looks like just my kind of book! And Ruby’s Wish sounds like a must-read. My son is oddly interested in books about girls & women trying to achieve and excel when their society or culture limited their opportunities, so he would probably like these too. I am hoping to read Hi Koo again–I skimmed it quickly in an airport, of all places. Just gorgeous of course–and I did like the poetry as well. Just purchased Ophelia & Marvelous Boy last week–I’ve decided that May and June are going to be all about middle grade!
Ruby’s Wish is a MUST read. Just read it to my class and WOW! Such impact. Many children who have family in China shared stories of grandparents, of visits and chatted all day to me more than usual. So great. Also such a story about the rights of all kids to go to school. Girls. Boys. Everyone. Hurray for middle grade!
Ma Jiang and the Orange Ants – Thank you. Can’t wait to locate this book!! 🙂 Also dying to read Found… happy reading week to you…
I hope you can find it – it is an older title. But really great!