It’s Monday! What are you reading?
I have been sharing a reading photo of the week each week. Now that it is summer, I am not surrounded every day with little readers so . . . I am choosing moments from the year not previously shared. “We love reading together,” these reading buddies announced with an ultimate squishy face hug and a huge book stack. How we love when the Kindergarten buddies come to read with us.
From the classroom 2014/2015 archives:
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.
On the blog this week:
Top Ten Tuesday: The Last Ten Books that Came into my Possession
For Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: A Year of Nonfiction Picture Books Revisited
A little bit of picture book dreaming: Picture Book Wishlist: July 2015
Celebration: Blogging Escapades
Sunday Morning Perspective: Reflections on the power of classroom community
Lots of reading happened too. Sharing my favourite titles here:
Picture books:
Mo and Beau by Vanya Nastanlieva
Adorable. Simple repetitive language leaves lots of room for observation. Perfect for little ones.
No More Kisses for Bernard! by Niki Daly
A great title to explore talking about personal boundaries. Bernard has four aunties that are much too kissy. How is his “No more kisses!” request respected? Quite creatively.
Nonfiction picture books:
Sweep up the Sun by Helen Frost and Rick Lieder
Beautiful pairing of incredible close up photos and perfectly matched poetry.
Whale Trails, Before and Now written by Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Documents the history of the whaling industry and contrasts it to current whale watching practices.
I’m Trying to Love Spiders by Bethany Barton
Lots of humour. Spider facts. Some arachnid squashing. All in a genuine quest for spider love.
Transitional chapter books:
The Adventures of Sophie Mouse: A New Friend written by Poppy Green and illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell
Sweet early chapter title. Themes of friendship and community.
The Princess in Black is written by Shannon and Dean Hale and illustrated by LeUyen Pham
Princess Magnolia leads a double life! She ditches her frilly pink dresses to don her Princess in Black disguise and act as a kind of super hero in the kingdom. What fun!
Novels:
The Great Good Summer by Liz Garton Scanlon
Many things I appreciated about this middle grade novel. It is so wonderfully character driven but still many things happen. Strong friendships. Family loyalty. Persistence. Courage. Forgiveness. Just plain lovely.
Updates on my 2015 Reading Goals:
2015 Chapter Book Challenge: 38/80 complete
Goodreads Challenge: 255/415 books read
#MustReadin2015: 15/24 complete
Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 52/100 titles
Diverse Books in 2015: 26/50 books read
Up next? I am reading the very clever Phoebe and her Unicorn by Dana Simpson and Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein
Happy Reading everyone!
There's a Book for That 
I really love bear books, and there seem to be many recently. Mo and Beau looks darling. Thanks for the Helen Frost poetry, definitely will search for it. Thanks for the rest, too, Carrie. Have a great reading week!
My students and I always comment on the number of bear books! But we never complain! We quite like them.
I love all the great picture book recommendations I find on your blog.Thank you for sharing them. I also need to look for The Great Good Summer. It sounds amazing! Have a great reading week!
It’s a fantastic novel. My daughter read it as well – she finished it in a day and raved about it.
Loved the Princess in Black. And I do hate spiders so many I need to work on it …
If you hate spiders, then this is the book for you!
I challenged all of the 6th grade boys to read Princess in Black, and we’ve almost filled up the whole circulation card. It’s funny how much they enjoy the book when they are told they “have” to read it! I’ll have to buy the sequel as well, the first has been so popular.
What a great challenge! I can see that they would be highly amused.
Loved Phoebe and Her Unicorn. Must get the second volume ASAP. I had also hoped to get to the new Elizabeth Wein this summer. I usually like a leisurely block of time to read her books because I read them slowly yet once I start, I don’t want to stop. The subject matter of this one is of particular interest, of course. Great Good Summer sounds so lovely. How I love middle grade! Really enjoying all your blog posts lately though I’m woefully behind on the commenting I want to do.
Yes, of course re this Wein title and you. Wow, I just started it and wow. Phoebe and Her Unicorn is just incredible! I think it will be a little old for this new group I have in the fall but they will grow into it!
Hi Carrie! I’ve got The Great Good Summer in front of me for my next read. I’ve even more excited about it after reading your comments. I loved Princess in Black and so have all my darlings who have checked it out. I’m not a spider fan, but might get this book. They are ok outside, but in the house, they are fair game for squishing.
The spider book is very amusing. I can see it being quite adored in the library. I bought the Princess in Black for my class collection!
I loved The Great Good Summer, but really wished there were more Marlee Frazee illustrations throughout the book. The cover was not enough for me 🙂
I liked the new Spiders book, but not one I’ll purchase for now. No study on insects, and I have to control my spending somehow. Wish I didn’t have to – love the book love!
I thought the same thing! I am a total Marla Frazee fan. She is coming to Vancouver this fall for an Illustrator Breakfast. I keep harassing the organizers to start selling tickets! I can’t wait to see her.
I love Princess in Black! I think she is so awesome! My friend’s 5 year old adores her as well.
Adding PBs to TBR. One day I will just order all the picture books on my TBR from the library and have a binge 🙂
Happy reading this week! 🙂
Ah that sounds lovely! Binge reading picture books! I would love to have hours to do just that.
Mo and Beau looks really sweet. I will have to see if I can find that one.
I just happened upon it at the bookstore. Very cute for little ones.
Sophie Mouse has been crazy popular at our store. I may need to break down and read it.
I can see it totally appealing to some kids. Very very calm and sweet.
I am on a genuine quest for spider love. Perhaps I need that book! Today, you could find me squatting in my garage, trying to determine if the spider eggs were going to hatch soon. It’s a tough life. We live in the woods! Ha! Have a great week, friend.
Carrie, again you are sharing titles and increasing my TBR and TBP (to be purchased) lists! Ha! Sweep Up the Sun looks lovely. I definitely am interested in I’m Trying to Love Spiders— not only for my classroom but for my husband! LOL! Princess Black is on my table, stacked up with Phoebe and her Unicorn and a few others to be read soon! I think I’ve mentioned before that –as shallow as it sounds– I am a sucker for a great book cover and title. I’m not going to be able to avoid The Great Good Summer much longer! Enjoy your week! 🙂
I just borrowed Princess in Black from the library and really looking forward to reading it – I’m not really a middle-grade-novel reader, but there are simply a few that manage to catch my fancy. Are you familiar with Colin Thompson’s The Floods? That one is a personal favourite.