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. It’s the best way to discover what to read next.
I read a few picture books and many early/young chapter books and graphics this week.
Any Questions by Marie-Louise Gay
What a beautiful picture book. It highlights the story telling process, the magic of children’s questions and the imaginative journey of a gifted author/illustrator into the land of stories. Once upon a time . . . Marie-Louise Gay tells us that a story begins with a blank white page. But her pages are never blank and white – when they are gifted to us, lucky readers, they are full of whimsy, happy clutter and childhood. Layer upon layer for read through after read through with little readers. Always something to happen upon on each page even if you miss it the first time through.
The book trailer is delightful – especially hearing Marie Louise-Gay‘s warm and animated voice. After meeting her on Saturday at the Vancouver Children’s Literature Round Table’s Breakfast, it is even more charming. I am thrilled to bring my signed copy of her book into school this week!
Of course, I also had to purchase the two Marie-Louise Gay books I didn’t have in our class collection.
When Stella was Very, Very Small by Marie-Louise Gay
All of the Stella titles feature Stella as a young girl but this title takes us back to her toddler days. She is, of course, charming, curious and cute as a bug.
What are you Doing Sam? by Marie-Louise Gay
I particularly love the Sam titles – the interactions between Stella and Sam that begin with Sam are quite charming. In this book, Sam decides to teach his dog Fred some tricks. This is quite an interesting endeavour. Fred, as usual, has his own ideas.
Extraordinary Warren: A Super Chicken by Sarah Dillard
This was a wonderful find at the bookstore this weekend. Thanks to a donation to classroom libraries at my school, I got to go book shopping. My plan was to purchase more early chapter series and graphic titles for our class collection. This reads as part graphic, part early chapter. Filled with humour, adventure and interesting character interactions, I predict this will be a hit with many little readers in my room!
Baby Mouse: Monster Mash (#9) by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
It is October. Halloween is approaching. Reading this title was only fitting. Love the layers to the story about friendship, peer pressure and bully behaviour.
Picture Day (Missy’s Super Duper Royal Deluxe #1) by Susan Nees
Another Branches series by Scholastic. I wondered if this title was going to be a “pink” book considering the cover and all of the rosy hues. I was pleasantly surprised by the character development and character interactions in an early chapter book title full of busy illustrations. Missy’s friend Oscar has some creative ideas about saving Missy’s identity crisis on picture day when her mother stifles her creative fashion spirit.
Class Pets (Missy’s Super Duper Royal Deluxe #2) by Susan Nees
I tried out another title just to check consistency and I enjoyed this one too. Perfect level for beginning chapter book readiness. Lots of colourful photos, easy to connect to school settings/plot lines and lots of humour.
Monkey Me #1 Monkey Me and the Golden Monkey by Timothy Roland
This Branches series is a little more complex than the Missy titles – more text and less illustrations. Still, great for a young chapter book series. After eating a special banana at the museum, Clyde has the tendency to become a monkey (literally) for portions of every day. Sometimes more than once. Silly, humorous and full of adventure.
I also finished After Iris by Natasha Farrant
I so loved this book – I am a fan of the chaos, eccentricities and love in this Gadsby family. The parents? Yikes. The “au pair”/guardian? Fantastic. The sibling interactions? So true. Told through Blue’s film transcripts and diary entries, this is a must read middle grade novel. One of my #MustReadin2014 titles.
Up next? I am still reading The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson – so happy with this title as I think both of my children will love it. Thinking of purchasing it as a futre family read aloud. We are big fans of fantasy. Still reading Okay for Now to my children- such a book to inspire discussion
Reading Goal Updates:
2014 Chapter Book Challenge: 65/100 novels complete
Goodreads Challenge: 471/650 books read (currently 48 books behind – not getting this much lower but keeping it under 50! I need a picture book blitz day or two or three)
#MustReadin2014: 21/30 complete
Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 111/65 complete
There's a Book for That 
Great list this week, several are new to me, I’ll have to check them out. I love the layers that are in a graphic novel, they are such treasures to pass along to kids! Have a great week!
Thanks Michele. I am becoming a bigger and bigger fan of graphics. They are ever popular in my room and I am trying to read more of them.
I completely agree with you about Babymouse having layers to it. Despite being a book for younger kids, I think the stories are actually pretty complex. I thought they were great books for even my 6th graders when I taught that age.
Agreed – my sense is that they are quite complex too with lots to think about, talk about and connect with.
Love knowing about the new Babymouse. Those books are well loved at school! And thanks for telling about Marie-Louise Gay’s books. The trailer for Any questions? is really wonderful, Carrie. I’ll pass on the titles for the young readers, too. Thanks!
Isn’t the trailer a delight? I so loved the entire morning and getting to meet Marie-Louise Gay. She is as charming as her voice sounds. Warm and full of stories!
Any Questions looks like one my sixth graders would love – they like to ask question, too!
It is an incredible title also to examine story process. I highly recommend it.
I’ve only read the first couple of Babymouse books, but I’m intrigued by your description of the Halloween story and will get it at the library. My husband is now reading Mark of the Dragonfly and really enjoying it. I love Marie Louise-Gay’s work. Any Questions? looks like a must-have for me. Just the kind of book I enjoy sharing in Children’s Lit. So glad you got to go to that author breakfast and get books signed for your classroom. What a treat to share those with your students this week! And of course a book shopping trip is always cause for celebration! Lots of interesting new-to-me early reader/chapter book series. Thanks!
I think Any Questions? is a must have – perfect to talk about the story telling process – how ideas take shape. I LOVE it! I am very excited to share this book with my students – all the more special because I can share the story of meeting Marie-Louise.
Lots of great series for younger readers that I am unfamiliar with – will have to check some of these out! Babymouse is a perennial favorite in my room, and that one is getting more attention this month, for sure.
I have been enjoying reading more of these early series to see what is a fit for my room and various levels of readers. When an early reader is really well done, I am always very excited.
Any Questions looks so delightful! The trailer made my heart happy. Her voice is so calming, and I loved the kids’ voices too! Thank you for sharing this one with us!
It is an amazing book! Worth finding. Perfect for talking about being a writer.
I just love those branches series! I was sad that I had to be out of town and missed Marie-Louise Gay. I’m really looking forward to reading Extraordinary Warren and After Iris, although I think the latter will have to go on my 2015 to read list.
The Marie-Louise Gay event was so lovely! I love this new book. Extraordinary Warren is really cute and there is a second one too.
After Iris sounds like a book my 12 year old girl would most likely enjoy – and Monster Mash. She loves Baby Mouse. I just checked our online library database – we have it! Will hunt down “Any Questions” by Marie-Louise Gay. Will only be able to do all that as soon as I’m back in Singapore.
The photograph of the cute dedication is so precious and lovely. Good to hear that the event went well! 🙂 You seem to have read a whole LOT this week.
It was a lovely event. I think you will love this new title by Marie-Louise Gay. It is full of possibilities.
I had the richest discussion when reading Okay For Now a couple of years ago with my class. It sparked all kinds of inquiries and interests I wasn’t expecting, too, like bird watching and art history. It was also something my very reluctant students connected to strongly, so we were all super engaged.
It was such a meaningful book study that I had to take a year off from doing it again, but I’m looking forward to bringing the book out this year.