It’s Monday! What are you reading?
Each week I share a reading photo of the week. I haven’t been teaching for 2 weeks, so sharing from my house. This week I am sharing a photo of our Christmas book stack 🙂 Lots of reading in our house!
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:
For #nfpb2015 I shared my 20 favourite nonfiction titles of 2015
Our #MustReadin2015 community shared year end update posts
Please note: If you want to share a #MustReadin2016 list, we will begin sharing lists (connect here) January 6th, 2016
My Celebration this week was all about Simplicity
On the eve of back to school, I made some wishes. Sunday Reflections: Wolves and Wild Wishes This post is inspired by the novel The Wolf Wilder (discussed more below)
Books I loved:
I read a lot of picture books this week, I am going to share just my favourites of the bunch.
Picture books:
One Word from Sophia by Jim Averbeck and Yasmeen Ismail
A superb lesson in persuasion and just the right words for the argument you are trying to make. Also a “Can I get a pet?” story with so much new and amusing. Loved this title.
Lizard from the Park by Mark Pett
I always find Pett’s illustrations very, very charming and this book is no exception. When you find an egg and vow to look after the hatchling, you just never know. Lots of fun!
Mother Bruce by Ryan T Higgins
Funny. Funny. Funny. I laughed out loud in the book store. My stomach hurt from laughing so hard. This is a serious charmer. The perfect combination of curmudgeonly and adorable characters.
The Dog that Nino Didn’t Have written by Edward van de Vendel and illustrated byAnton Van Hertbruggen
Something about this book. First of all, I would like to hang all of it on my walls. Each page. Blown up to huge proportions. And the story. . . It is a little out there. It is about lonely and longing and then having and adjusting. And then wondering. I loved it. In fact, I gifted it to myself. Couldn’t resist.
The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton
I confess that I just never thought about picking this book up. I saw great reviews but it just didn’t speak to me. Finally, I found it at the library and started reading. It is quite wonderful and yes, I was missing out. I can see that this would have pretty fantastic read aloud appeal.
Frances Dean who Loved to Dance and Dance by Birgitta Sif
The illustrations are completely divine. The story, pretty cute.
Puffling Patrol by Ted and Betsy Lewin (2012)
I learned so much in this nonfiction text. Absolutely fascinating account of a the authors’ visit to a town in Iceland during 2008 to watch how a community helps young pufflings confused by the town’s lights make their way to the sea.
The Scraps Book: Notes from a Colorful Life by Lois Ehlert
Bold, full of colour. Such a fantastic autobiography!
Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear written by Lindsay Mattick and illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Such an interesting format. Really a lovely little book.
Novels:
The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell
This book. This book. This book! I fall more and more in love with Rundell’s writing with each novel I read. Part adventure. Part fairy tale. Many parts brave and wonderful. Russia. Winter. Snow. Wolves. And beautiful, bold children. A must, must read!
Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton
A novel in verse. Highly recommended. What is life like when you don’t look like everyone else and your dreams and aspirations are “not what we do here”? This book, set in 1969 Vermont, is an incredible story of one young girl. Courageous, vulnerable, amazing.
Final updates on my 2015 Reading Goals:
2015 Chapter Book Challenge: 71/80 complete
Goodreads Challenge: 471/415 books read COMPLETE!
#MustReadin2015: 18/24 complete
Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 95/100 titles
Diverse Books in 2015: 52/50 books read COMPLETE!
A WONDERFUL reading year – even though all of my goals weren’t met, they sure were inspiring!
And 2016 Reading Goals begin:
2016 Chapter Book Challenge: 1/75 complete
Goodreads Challenge: 5/400 books read
#MustReadin2016: 1/30 complete
Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 1/100 titles
Diverse Books in 2015: 2/50 books read
Next up? I am reading More Happy than Not by Adam Silvera
There's a Book for That 
So many great titles here – I reserved three from our library. The Dog that Nino didn’t have, in particular, caught my eye. And Wolf Wilder! Great book stack photo too. I heard Winter is a huge tome of a book. I shall pin Puffling Patrol as we are currently looking for bird-themed books which we are considering to include in our themed-bibliography to be published this year. Very exciting!
You and I often share a love of the sort of out there when it comes to picture books so I am pretty sure you will LOVE Nino as I did! I want to hear more about this themed bibliography you are publishing? When? So exciting!
A teacher just asked me for some picture books that might help with persuasive writing, sounds like One Word From Sophie might be a nice addition! Thank you.
It is a lot of fun! And the illustrations are incredible!
I also LOVED The Wolf Wilder. Can’t wait to book talk it today!
I haven’t stopped talking about this book!
FANTASTIC recommendations! Wait til my library sees my “hold” list this week…
Also planning to forward this post to my favorite primary grade classroom teachers!
So pleased you found some titles you like! Thanks for sharing.
Oh Carrie, I had Full Cicada Moon on my must read in 2016 list, but worked really hard to pare the list down to 30 titles so I took it off. I’m glad I don’t have to commit to a finished list until tomorrow as I can see that I will be renegotiating my choices after reading all of today’s posts. Hope you enjoy More Happy Than Not. It is a stunner. I have reserved The Wolf Wilder and can’t wait to read it.
Full Cicada Moon is so fantastic. And The Wolf Wilder – well, wow! I am really pleased to be reading More Happy Than Not. So far, I am completely hooked!
You’ve made me want Wolf Wilder NOW, but it will need to wait a bit longer, Carrie.I’ll be reading Cicada Moon for the Cybils’ finalists soon. I enjoyed The Dog That Nino Didn’t Have, think it has more layers than we can imagine! Will look for Frances Dean! Thanks for all, & have a wonderful week to start the year!
So pleased that Cicada Moon is a Cybils finalist. I really loved this title. I am happy to hear that you also liked Nino!
I loved The Princess and The Pony! Too funny, and I think kids can really appreciate the message too.
I would like to read it aloud!
Heavens, your blog is a dangerous place to visit! I just “suggested a purchase” for my library to buy Wolf Wilder. As soon as I saw Princess and Pony, I tried to figure out why it didn’t make it onto my Best of PBs list because it was one of my favorites of the year. Discovered that somehow I never logged it into Goodreads so I forgot about it! But I adored it. So darned funny–and sweet! Dog that Nino Didn’t Have is one I’d really like to get my hands on. Was thrilled to discover that my library has Mother Bruce!
My son laughed about Mother Bruce. It’s a winner! Nino won’t be for everyone, I happened to love it. The Wolf Wilder is a fantastic story. Hope everyone loves it as much as me!
I had the same reaction as you about The Princess and the Pony. At first I had no desire to read it but then I picked it up at the library and fell instantly in love.
Funny. I like the inside illustrations better than the cover. Don’t judge a book by, I know, I know!
So many wonderful titles with something for just about everyone. I found Mother Bruce and The Princess and the Pony just hilarious. I especially loved the way that The Princess and the Pony celebrates male expressions of emotion – there are quite a few books out there that encourage girls to be strong or to express themselves, but it’s nice to see stories that do the same for boys, encouraging them to express their emotions as well. Plus fart jokes. Win-win. 🙂
Absolutely can see many kids adoring The Princess and the Pony. And can’t wait to read Mother Bruce aloud!
Mother Bruce made me laugh so much. Finding Winnie was my fifth grade students’ choice for our Mock Caldecott. 🙂
Pleased to hear this about Finding Winnie. I might have put it on our list if I had read it sooner. Mother Bruce is delightful. I loved his other PB – Wilfred too.
Just picked up The Wolf Wilder from the library. I loved the Rooftoppers, so looking forward to this one. I need to request Full Cicada Moon again. It was whisked away by my book club readers. Loved One Word from Sophia. Requesting Finding Winnie. Happy back to school week!
Thank you Ramona. The Wolf Wilder is wonderful! Read it in big chunks if you can. Such a story!
Wolf Wilder is coming up in my pile!
Mother Bruce was a book I ended up buying once I read it from my library. So fun.
Will link up tomorrow with you!
Mother Bruce was one I had to buy too. And yes, The Wolf Wilder is a must, must read!
I just ordered Full Cicada Moon – sounds fabulous!
It really is a fantastic title on so many levels.
We felt the same way about The Princess and the Pony but will now get a copy. Thank you for pushing our thinking on that one.
Funny how we really do have instant reactions to some covers.
Full Cicada Moon is on my #mustreadin2016. Thank you for tweeting me about it!
I need to read The Princess and the Pony. I know I am going to love it.
I read the other Winnie book this past week, but I should get my hands on this one as well.
Happy reading this week! 🙂
I have read both Winnie books and like them both a lot. Can’t wait to see what you think about Full Cicada Moon!
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