It’s Monday! What are you reading?
I have been absent from #IMWAYR for a few weeks and oh, how, I have missed it! I am back and thrilled to be here. How I adore this community.
Each week I share a reading photo of the week. As you might have anticipated, I have a few to share this week.
Here is my Reading Warrior surrounded by her morning reading 🙂
An engaged buddy reading moment.
More buddy reading joy.
For our #classroombookaday, I have three weeks of titles to share.
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:
I have been processing leaving my school and this seems to be the only blogging I have done.
I am leaving – – > Changes Ahead: Slice of Life
It’s confusing – – > Not Enough Feet: Slice of Life
Trying to find peace – – > Celebration: Standing in the Middle
Books I enjoyed:
In three weeks, there have been many books! So I worked hard to narrow it down to my ten favourite recently read picture books. In no particular order:
Are We There Yet? by Dan Santat
So very clever. Literal twists and turns! Quite the reading experience exploring the feeling of time’s passage on a road trip.
Rules of the House written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Matt Myers
Never open the red door! This is the firm rule of the house. So, what would you do? I can see kids actually finding this kind of scary . . .
The Thank You Book by Mo Willems
Willems is more than brilliant and doesn’t disappoint in any way in this last Elephant and Piggie title.
Horrible Bear written by Ame Dyckman and illustrated by Zachariah OHora
I love this title more and more as I think more about how truly smart it is. Exploring immediate reactions, mistakes and forgiveness. Another wonderful collaboration from Dyckman and OHora.
Nerdy Birdy written by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by Matt Davies
Reynolds and Davies? I couldn’t wait to lay eyes on this one. I love all that it explores – these birdies navigate social norms and emotions rather than the skies. Lots to talk about.
Thunder Boy Jr. written by Sherman Alexie and illustrated by Yuyi Morales
I have been waiting for this book since I heard Morales discuss it at Western Washington’s Children’s Literature Conference more than a year ago. Now, I am thrilled to have just purchased tickets for my husband and I to go hear Alexie speak here in Vancouver! (June 21st – tickets via Vancouver Kidsbooks if you are local) This book is all kinds of special. All about identity, family, who we are and what our name represents.
Loved listening to this interview.
Puddle by Hyewon Yum
Is there anything better than puddle jumping? Likely not! This book is full of rain and creativity.
This is Not a Picture Book by Sergio Ruzzier
100% charming. A book that celebrates the beautiful process of reading.
The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art written by Barb Rosenstock and illustrated by Mary Grandpré
So fascinating! Made me go and look at multiple images of Kandinsky’s work.
Stay! A Top Dog Story by Alex Latimer
I can see some children becoming absolutely lost in the detailed notes and letters in this book. Lots of fun!
Novels:
Booked! by Kwame Alexander
This is the second Alexander title that made its rounds in my family – both children, my husband and I read it. I think we all took different things from it to love. There is lots to love!
Burn Baby Burn by Meg Medina
This is some book. Dramatic family relationships, young love, coming of age, and New York in 1977 and all that that means . . . the Son of Sam murders and the fear surrounding this time, fires, black outs, financial hardships. I highly recommend this YA title.
The Girl in the Well is Me by Karen Rivers
This is one of those titles that you can pick up and not put down until done. On the one hand, this is the story of a girl trapped in a well and all of the scary and terrible about this. But this little book also contains lots about the ugliness of middle school relationships, the vulnerability of children, our inner voices and introspection . . . .
Reading Progress updates:
2016 Chapter Book Challenge: 19/75 complete
Goodreads Challenge: 147/400 books read
#MustReadin2016: 16/30 complete
Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 22/100 titles
Diverse Books in 2016: 19/50 books read
Up next? I am reading Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar
There's a Book for That 
Thanks for sharing your list of books. You have a great list of picture books. There are a few there that I haven’t read. The Girl in the Well sounds very emotional. Such important themes. I’ll have to put it on my list.
I had even more picture books to share but they would have made this post endless! Thanks for visiting!
The Girl in the Well was a little slower and more philosophical than I would like. Sorry that you have to leave your job, but things will work out. It’s never pleasant, especially at first, but in time it will seem like normal. We lost 14 people from our staff at the beginning of the year, many of whom were dear friends. It was tough at first, but now I don’t really think about them. Not thinking about it is the best way to go. Less sad.
14 people! Wow, that must have been some change!
Yes, terrific list! Thanks for sharing. I’ve missed your #imwayr posts!
I have missed writing them! Glad to be back 🙂
Such great books you’ve shared this week. I need to get to the Meg Medina title soon. It sounds like a page-turner!
Good luck with your new adventure, wherever you end up teaching next year!
It is a page turner absolutely! I found it so engaging!
Glad to see you back with those beautiful pics of the kids & their books, Carrie. I’ve read some of your picture books, still want to read This Is Not A Picture Book, looks so cute! I loved Burn, Baby Burn, thought Medina wrote about that time so well, and Booked also was a good story, again! Will put The Girl In The Well Is Me on my list, seems related to Wolf Hollow which I read this past week. Thanks much!
Yes, I agree, Medina captured this time period so well. What a book!
Loved the pictures – reading joy at its most authentic! The Girl in the Well is Me is a book I have to read – thanks for sharing with us today, Carrie.
there is nothing quite like watching readers grow in a room full of books!
I love seeing the dots above the picture books in your classroom. Always interesting what your students enjoy the most. I have the latest and last Elephant & Piggie sitting right by my computer here. I’m saving it! My son is totally off picture books now, but when he saw that one, he did want to sit down and read it together. Hooray for Mo Willems!
Reading this Mo Willems title aloud is a very special experience! Enjoy it!
Welcome back, you’ve been missed! Someone read a passage from The Girl in the Well is Me at work, and I couldn’t bear it, I’m not a fan of tight places at the best of times, and boy, does this one capture that experience beautifully and effectively! It’s a great testament to a writer’s skill if they can make the reader really feel what they’re describing on a physical level, I have to say that!
There are some definite scary parts but this book is more about in the head than in the well. A powerful little novel. I am happy to be back!
LOVE Noisy Paint Box and Booked for very different reasons.
The rest are all books I want to read. Cannot wait to get my hands on some of them, especially Santat, Barnett, Medina, and Willem’s.
Happy reading this week 🙂
Thanks Kellee and Happy Reading right back at you!
We have missed reading your posts – It is so nice to have you back. We are adding your 10 favorite books to our TBR pile. Thank you.
Wonderful! Happy reading to you both!
I ordered Nerdy Birdy and The Noisy Paint Box from my library tonight. Somehow I haven’t gotten around to reading those yet. Loved Horrible Bear! The little girl is just so brave, even though she hurt the bear’s feelings. Rules of the House was a little creepy, but I think my fifth grade students would enjoy it a lot. I want to get a copy of that for my classroom library. The Thank You Book was just sweet, like all the Elephant and Piggie books. Thunder Boy, Jr. and Puddle are also both terrific. I’m glad summer is coming, so I can get into some of the middle grade books. Only 7 teaching days left. Good luck on your new teaching assignment. I’ll be looking forward to reading how it goes on your blog.
We still have weeks and weeks left as we teach right until the end of June! Enjoy your last few days! Rules of the House is kind of creepy I agree that older students would enjoy it.
The joy that emerges from your posts makes me so happy. What wonderful reading pictures! Henry loved Whose Story is This Anyways? We have read it several times. It has all of the components that he loves. If there were cars in it, his head just might explode. 🙂
Oh I hear you. One of my students announced, “What this book has dinosaurs AND pirates AND aliens?” I can’t keep track of this title. A child is always making off with this book!
Oh! Your reading photos warm my heart! What a terrific idea! I just did a book talk in a wonderful second grade class yesterday, and then watched as they were engrossed in their books during “silent reading.” You reviewed a great selection of books, and I’m so glad you reminded me to check out The Noisy Paint Box (an artist bio — right up my alley!)
It’s a wonderful book! Enjoy!
I love buddy reading pics! Sherman Alexie is coming to the Portland area in July. I can’t wait to see him again.