It’s Monday! What are you reading?
Each week I share a reading photo of the week. During the summer, these photos will be about getting my classroom library up and running for a room full of readers in September.
Here is my read aloud by theme collection nicely tucked into a cabinet.
Nonfiction? Yes! One area (still missing labels) sorted and ready for readers. Working on another area tomorrow.
This week, I started labelling spines by genre. Getting there literally one book at a time.
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.
Books I enjoyed:
Pirasaurs written by Josh Funk and illustrated by Michael Slack
Huge kid appeal in this title. I featured it earlier this week here.
The Knowing Book written by Rebecca Kai Dotlich with illustrations by Matthew Cordell
When this book was first published, someone said it was my kind of book. It is most definitely my kind of book. Gently perfect. I think I need to own it.
A Beginner’s Guide To Bear Spotting by Michelle Robinson with illustrations by David Roberts
This is funny – funny while all the while worried about a child actually getting mauled by a bear – funny. Very interesting to use as a mentor text for writing – how are facts and humour woven throughout? Would love to read this aloud to a group of students.
Ooko by Esmé Shapiro
The perfect kind of quirky, charming story line and illustrations. Lots of humour. And a dose of what to look for in a friend advice. Pay close attention.
The Dunderheads by Paul Fleischman with illustrations by David Roberts
How had I missed reading this one? Love David Roberts’ illustrations here. .
This is NOT a Cat! by David Larochelle with illustrations by Mike Wohnoutka
This would be a very fun and loud read aloud experience with little listeners who would soon become active participants. Such fun!
Clara Humble and the Not so Super Powers by Anna Humphrey with illustrations by Lisa Cinar
This is the first book in a new series perfectly suited to readers Grade 3 and up. Clara Humble is convinced that she has super powers. More and more things happen that make it seem perfectly plausible. And if you have super powers, you really should use them . . . Right? This title has much young reader appeal: interesting comic drawings featuring @Cat (Clara’s very own comic strip), an honest, mistake making character full of creative plans and imaginative thinking and a plot full of action, adventure and friendship mishaps. Like many chapter book series for younger readers, this title is fast paced and funny but it doesn’t shy away from allowing the reader to experience some of Clara’s challenges and blunders and what she needs to do to make things right. I look forward to introducing this series to my new class this fall.
Nine, Ten: A September 11th Story by Nora Raleigh Baskin
Told from the perspective of four different young characters in the few days preceding September 11th, 2001, this novel weaves themes of human connection, vulnerabilities and emotions. Powerful, honest and important. Beautiful writing by Baskin.
Reading Progress updates:
2016 Chapter Book Challenge: 34/75 complete
Goodreads Challenge: 231/400 books read
#MustReadin2016: 20/30 complete
Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 32/100 titles
Diverse Books in 2016: 29/50 books read
Up Next? I am reading The Land of Forgotten Girls by Erin Entrada Kelly
There's a Book for That 
Clara Humble sounds great. Looking forward to that one.
I think it will be a fun new series,
Where to even begin! As I scrolled through, I wanted to say something to you about almost all of these!
I liked Ooko a lot. Charming little guy, right?
And The Knowing Book? I loved the language.
And Nine, Ten. *sigh* What is there to say about this book, besides I cannot wait for it to open the minds and hearts of people everywhere this year.
I don’t know Clara Humble. I’ll need to check that one out!
Have a happy week, Carrie!
Clara Humble is released next month. I LOVED The Knowing Book. Really beautiful images and language.
Happy to see all those books finding their new homes, Carrie! I love The Knowing Book, and Bear Spotting is on its way from the library. I still need to read Nine, Ten, and will as soon as I can! Have a wonderful week!
A really well done novel. I am sure you will like it.
Nice assortment of books. You look like you are so organized. Here is what I did and read last week. Happy reading!
Attempting to get there – to that organized state.
I’m reading Clara Humble these days. I don’t recommend starting it after finishing up a tale about Piper Green. Clara can’t really compare. I enjoyed Bear Spotting, but am honestly terrified of running into a real bear in the wild, (and I love camping in wild places) so the humour didn’t really work so well for me.
I do love Piper Green and can’t wait to find the new one. Yes, coming across a bear would not be much fun!
Oh I love watching your classroom library come together – creating a system that’s organized but also kid-friendly is such an exciting challenge (nerdy librarian alert!) 🙂
I hear you. An exciting challenge describes it perfectly!
Pirasaurs looks so fun. I definitely need to get my hands on a copy.
And yes, The Knowing Book is amazing. I can totally see that being your kind of book. 🙂
Totally my kind of book!
Love this peek into organizing your classroom library. I need to own The Knowing Book too. Just purchased Ms. Bixby’s Last Day this past week, so I have to pace my purchases! Loved Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story. And as usual, when I read your posts, there are some new-to-me titles I need to request from the library. Thanks for sharing!
Happy reading Ramona! And thanks for the encouragement about my library. Lots of work but lots of fun.
Super love the look of your classroom library – looks like a veritable labor of love – now to do that in my own library at home that has gone slightly wild in disarray. Great to see new-to-me picturebooks and The Dunderheads looks fun. I hope you enjoy Land of Forgotten Girls as much as I do. 🙂
I also worked on our huge set of book shelves at home this summer too. LOVED Land of Forgotten Girls.
I bought Nine, Ten, but haven’t read it yet. So many good titles here. 🙂