It’s Monday! What are you reading?
My favourite reading photo of the week was captured during buddy reading with the kindergarten class this week. Love the teaching and interacting that was going on between these two!
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 was held hostage by report card writing this week and literally attached to my computer this weekend. I lamented and, at the same time, celebrated here. As a result I didn’t get the reading done that I would have liked to do. I also have a very limited time to get this post together as I need to go back and edit my reports one more time. Sigh.
So this is an abbreviated version of my typical #IMWAYR post
Here are some picture books that I enjoyed:
I See the Moon by Jaqueline Mitton; illustrated by Erika Pal
From There to Here written by Laurel Croza and illustrated by Mark James (student reviews will soon be published on our class blog)
Song of Middle C by Alison McGhee and illustrated by Scott Menchin
Two Frogs by Chris Wormell
All Kinds of Families! by Mary Ann Hoberman and illustrated by Marc Boutavant
In other reading? Tomorrow evening I will finish Okay for Now with my children. I think our next book is going to be Twerp by Mark Goldblatt. My daughter reads all over the map but my son pretty much sticks to graphics and fantasy/adventure. When I read realistic fiction, he gets totally into it but he would never read it on his own. So, I am sticking to realistic fiction for a while with my kids.
I am reading in spurts and starts The Turtle of Oman: A Novel by Naomi Shihab Nye. I then plan to read Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff. Then, I have a big mission. I had plans to read 100 novels this year. That means I have to get 25 finished in a month. Nobody cares but me. But I care. A lot. Our lengthy job action (on strike forever) should have given me excess time to read. Instead it froze me and I didn’t get to dive into the land of books like I wanted to. I resent that. I am bound and determined to meet this goal. I wouldn’t quite put money on it. But, I should at least get big points for big ambition. Here goes . . .
There's a Book for That 
Two books I love on this list – From Here to There and Water Sings Blue. And now I’m off to request your other titles from the library. I read Twerp with my 6th graders last year. You’ll love Absolutely Almost. I’m pulling for you to reach your goal – reach for some novels in verse… Home of the Brave (I love this book), The Red Pencil, Another Day as Emily, and Dust of Eden. You can do it!
Ramona – thanks for rooting for me! And yes, novels in verse is part of the plan! In fact Home of the Brave is in the stack near the top 🙂 I loved Twerp and think my children will really connect. Great to know that you read it aloud with a class. I started Absolutely Almost last night and yes, hooked!
Just to let you know, I did a bit of creative editing when I read Twerp aloud.
Good luck with your ambitious self… Enjoy as you plug away at those book treasures, you can do it! 🙂
I am planning for it to be a very enjoyable process!
New picture books for me – will need to head to the library to check them out! Good luck with your goal – you can do it! (It reminds me to see where I am with mine – I set it and then never looked back. It is December and time to take stock of things.) Happy December reading!
Thanks Joanne. Busy times but books and time to read are a way to destress!
More wonderful new-to-me picture books! I can always count on you, Carrie. My son is definitely going through a fantasy kick right now, which I’m happy to run with. He had no use for fantasy at first–and he still struggles to use his imagination. I am planning to offer him Jinx in my next book stack. Hoping he’ll bite because I would love to read that out loud to him. I could so relate to your reading goals comments! I figured out this morning that I have 28 books to read in December to meet my goal–and 17 of them have to be YA and 11 of them have to be Newberys. Guess who’s going to be looking for the shortest Newbery winners? Sadly, I think I’ve already read the shortest 3 or 4…. But I’ll be looking for the next shortest! Why can’t there be some Newbery PB winners or graphic novels?! We’ll cheer each other on through December!
I hear you. I am searching out novels in verse! The thing is though – sometimes this is when we make our best discoveries! Finding books that we might not have otherwise picked up. I hope you can read Jinx aloud. It’s a lot of fun!
SO loved that photograph of your kids reading – they are off to a great reading life!
I too love this photo. It says so much. I could have watched these two all afternoon!
I think that boy in your class supporting the K speaks volumes about the quality of your teaching. As usual you’ve turned me on to some great picture books. I loved both Ok for Now and Twerp and hope your kids love them as much. Hope to see you at the school sometime this week so we can talk books.
I hope we can get a visit in too! We will be by Wednesday eve. We loved Okay for Now. Just finished it. Looking forward to reading Twerp. Will be lots to discuss I think. The photo is pretty special isn’t it? I LOVE buddy reading!!!
That first picture is wonderful, Carrie. I can just imagine the talk, ‘here, look right here”… All your collage of books look good, love that cover of Two Frogs! I loved Okay for Now, think Gary Schmidt puts a marvelous story together. I enjoyed Twerp too, and Absolutely Almost is great. Best wishes for your goal-wow!
I have started and am loving Absolutely Almost. Oh, Albie. Sigh. Okay for Now is one of my absolute all time favourites. What a writer. Wow. Wow. Wow.
Yes, I’m in the depths of report cards too! Don’t be too hard on yourself, my friend! If the strike “froze” you – you appear to be thawing out and reading a whole lot of great books! Better to read 50 and savor each word than race through 100. But you are determined and I know if you put your mind to it – you will DEFINATELY accomplish your book mission! I LOVE Chris Wormell and have forgotten the Frog book – I am going to pull it out of my pile as I remember loving it so much. From There To Here – Love this book – have you read the first one called I Know Here? It’s one of my favorite anchor books for writing about “My Special Place”. Happy Reading!
I need to pull I Know Here again. My students really wrote some great reviews I am very excited to just read and read and read. I will enjoy every word! 🙂
Oh my goodness! I love the picture at the beginning of this post. Oh the warm and fuzzies. ❤
I think I levitate during buddy reading – there are so many amazing moments. I just watch and swoon.
I have been eagerly anticipating The Turtle of Oman. I love her poetry. Have fun and breathe as you rip through the remaining books. 🙂
Thanks Crystal! I am looking forward to lots and lots of reading this month! Off to my novel after finishing reading a few more IMWAYR blogs! You know, so I can lengthen those TBR lists!!
Best of luck on your mission, Carrie! I am more than certain you would exceed your reading goal. I am personally just happy that I’ve been reading quite a lot of books lately – and of different genre – I think my reading has just grown way exponentially since I started blogging and met you all beautiful people. For that I am truly grateful. Very excited to learna bout a new Naomi Shihab Nye title!
Thanks for the confidence Myra! We will see how I do. Lots of adventures and stories await me. 🙂
Wow! It seems like so many of us posted about having getting it all done this last week…’tis the season, I suppose. Report cards, Christmas shopping, Christmas parties, Christmas concerts – so many things pulling us in so many directions. I hope that the holidays give you time to make your way towards your goal but make sure you enjoy the books along the way! Good luck!
Oh I always enjoy the books! No worries there. And finding time to steal away and read is the best of problems to have 🙂
I LOVE that picture of those two boys!!!
Very special. Agreed!