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. You are guaranteed to find something new to add to your list.
I read many picture books this week. These were my favourites: Wave by Suzy Lee If you have ever spent time at the beach with a little one, this wordless book will enchant you. It instantly evoked memories of watching my children race waves – all the excitement, fear and wonder expressed in their movements and expressions. Love. 
What do you do with an idea? written by Kobi Yamada and illustrated by Mac Besom I placed this on a picture book wish list because it is just so . . . Let’s call it a celebration of imagination and a Must Have/Must Own/Must Share title. Now, don’t you want it too? 
The Fly by Elise Gravel I’ve said it once or twice this week at least. But I will say it again – pretty certain that this Disgusting Critters series is going to cause a nonfiction commotion in my classroom this fall. Nonfiction facts housed in a “fiction like” reader. Hilarious and amusing along with informative. Flies are irksome. Read this and find them a little bit charming. 
Inside my Imagination written by Marta Artega and illustrated by Zuzanna Celej Gorgeous illustrations – whimsical journey into an imagination landscape Favourite line: “Then the words all hold each other’s hands.” Would be a great mentor text to use as a springboard for writing: What would happen if you could walk around in your imagination? What would you see? What is it like? 
Hannah’s Night by Komako Sakai I like this for many reasons. Here are three: the moody blues and darks in the illustrations, the middle of the night courage of a little night explorer stretching her independent spirit and the snuggly last page. 
Stephen and the Beetle written by Jorge Lujan and illustrated by Chiara Carrer Ethics anyone? Love books that prompt philosophical discussion. Should you squash that beetle? Or should you wonder about it instead? Truly wild illustrations which you will really like or won’t. I am in the first camp. 
Caged Birds of Phnom Penh written by Frederick Lipp and illustrated by Ronald Himler I discovered this title on the amazing blog Gathering Books (where I often uncover books I might have missed). It is a story of vulnerability and hope of a better life. Ary wants to release a caged bird in order to set her wishes free. But, the experience is not what she first anticipated. Powerful. 
Djanjo: World’s Greatest Jazz Guitarist by Bonnie Christensen I just learned about this title from the Schneider Family Book Award Blog Tour and was thrilled to read another picture book biography and as always, learn so much. This time about guitarist Djanjo Reinhardt. Told in free verse and saturated oil paintings, we learn about how Djanjo taguht himself to play the guitar again after his hands were injured in a fire. 
My New Friend is So Fun by Mo Willems Does every Elephant & Piggie title need to come live in my classroom collection? Yep. A friendship theme as always – but really heavy on the friendship angst in this one. 
I also read The Riverman by Aaron Starmer Wild. Creepy. Unsettling. Dark. But so, so well written. It is where your imagination takes you that makes everyone’s reading of this novel so unique. Whoa. Borders on YA – only for some MG readers. Turns out it is the first in a trilogy but has a stand alone feel. 
Next up? Well my twitter feed sums it up nicely:
Packing #MostImportantDecisions pic.twitter.com/4fcnLa9EbI — Carrie Gelson (@CarrieGelson) July 12, 2014
Trip to the library to pick up holds means more books coming away with me pic.twitter.com/qlWKy1XCrU — Carrie Gelson (@CarrieGelson) July 12, 2014
There's a Book for That 
I want to read Lowry’s son… I’m going to have to order it.
I look forward to it too. Wondering if it will become more popular with The Giver movie out this summer. I hope I will finish it this week and can share my reaction next Monday.
I really want to read What Do You Do With an Idea? but my library doesn’t have it yet.
Have you listened to any of Django’s music? It is a must! 🙂
It is a title that might need to be part of my picture book collection. So great and an amazing book to read to talk about creativity and embracing ideas. I want to listen to some Django music soon – it’s been a while.
I’ve skimmed through Idea, and I bought it, but I need to take the time to relish it. I left a bunch of purchased picture books for the summer, to boost my #bookaday numbers. Ha, didn’t need it. I’ve had so many books from the library, it’s been crazy! The Fly looks really interesting, I put that one on hold! I have so many books that I own to read, I’ve stopped putting adult books and some MG chapter books on hold at the library. I need to read my summer must reads, because then I need to get back to my 2014 must read list!! Have a great vacation. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on some of the books you’ll be reading!
Thanks Michele – not sure if I will get trough them all or not. Was up early this a.m. reading We Were Liars – have the feeling I will be finished tonight – would like to just sit and read it but we are off to the cheese farm. So later. I have some of my own titles that I need to read too but saving most of the paperbacks for when we have another trip later this summer. We can’t drive onto the island we are going to – so we need to carry everything on to the ferry. My worry – how will I fit enough books??!
Your vacation bookstack has some amazing titles! Quest for the Tree Kangaroo looks fascinating. I will have to look for that one at the library. Have a good reading week!
I got The Quest for the Tree Kangaroo signed by Nic Bishop at a conference in Bellingham this spring. Planning to share this as a family read aloud this holiday. We love reading the Scientist and the Field titles and are especially partial to the Montgomery/Bishop collaborations. I just bought the new one about cheetahs.
Beautiful list of books, Carrie. I bookmarked nearly all, have read the caged birds book, because of Myra too. I really am taken by Inside My Imagination-sounds just wonderful. Thank you & happy reading!
Hi Linda – thank you! I’m pleased that some of these titles look interesting to you. I have enjoyed all of the picture books I have been reading lately. So many great books being published. Only problem is I want to own them all!
I have never seen My New Friend is Fun. is that new or an older title? I am a huge fan of elephant and piggie. Have a good trip.
New. Really cute too. I have heard that there will only be a few more Elephant and Piggie books published. Don’t want to break that news to my students
the illustrations and covers on some of those picture books are so pretty. Adding them my list for possible reviews!
So pleased you found some titles that you are interested in. Have been discovering some great picture books lately. Thanks for stopping by!
These look great! Especially interested in the picture books related to imagination. I think these might really work well for my third graders when we get to fiction writing this year.
They are wonderful texts to inspire creativity and celebration of ideas! Enjoy!
So many new titles for us this week. We have to have The Fly!!!! Thanks for sharing
It is really fun. I would love to collect the entire series for my classroom!
I want to read every one of your picture books immediately – such a wonderfully varied collection.
Thanks Tara. I did manage to find some wonderful titles.
The Round House is also on my TBR list. You have quite the stack of books there! I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts about Snicker. Rose Under Fire was one of my favorites, so it will be great to hear your thoughts about that one. Happy reading this week! It is going to be epic!
I am hoping for epic! Not sure if I will get through them all but I like having some extras around because you never know what mood you will be in after finishing certain titles. It is so great to have access to so many great recommendations through this #IMWAYR community
Thanks for 3 more holds on books… 🙂 Hope you have another wonderful reading week. Enjoy tackling those TBR books… My pile is teetering a little but it is so fun to tackle!
Teetering is the best! Happy reading to you!
So glad you ended up with a few more books to take with you, because I believe a person can NEVER have enough books on vacation! The cover of Inside My Imagination is gorgeous! Must get my hands on this one. Love your idea of the writing prompt to go along with. I’ve got Django checked out from the library right now–will have to get to it sooner. Eventually I am going to collect all of the Elephant & Piggie titles. They are so popular with my college students!
Agreed, never too many books! I think I have every Elephant & Piggie but two. I would like to have all of them soon. My class LOVES these books so much.
These are such wonderful titles yet again, Carrie. I am not sure if you know, but I’ve done a very in-depth interview with Suzy Lee at GatheringBooks several years back when we had our wordless picture book reading theme. This interview was subsequently published as a chapter in my edited book on Beyond Folktales for the Asian Festival of Children’s Content. We talked about not just Wave, but Suzy’s entire border trilogy which includes Mirror, and Shadow – have you read those two yet? Her wordless “Alice in Wonderland” which is not as available as the others is just so visually stunning and extremely powerful – she gave me a copy of that one, for which I am eternally grateful. Here’s our interview –
http://gatheringbooks.org/2011/04/06/suzy-lee’s-mirror-shadow-wave/
Suzy has a few more wordless titles such as La Revanche des Lapins (Revenge of the Rabbits), Blackbird, and The Zoo which you may also want to check out. It’s a privilege to know her.
I’m so glad you loved The Caged Birds of Phnom Penh. There’s another Django book that I featured in GatheringBooks created by Levi Pinfold – that one you have to check out, stunning illustrations too. Safe travels dear Carrie! Enjoy reading wherever you’re going! Reading in the Wild is beautiful.
Thanks Myra! I know and love Mirror and Shadow and would like to read the Zoo. I don’t know the others so will look for them and I also look forward to reading your blog with the interview. I am also going to look for the other Django title. Your recommendations always take me to wonderful places!
My principal just recommended that I purchase What Do You Do With an Idea? It looks like a really good one to inspire creativity along with Inside my Imagination. I noticed that you read books with a really wide variety of illustration types. I am quite interested in the Caged Birds book. You have just added quite a few books to my “to be read” shelf on Goodreads. 🙂
The Caged bird book is truly excellent. A very special and deep story. Themes of poverty and hope. Glad you found so many titles!