It’s Monday! What are you reading?
Each week I share a reading photo of the week.
This week we started classroom book clubs. Here is my basket of book selections almost full of everyone’s choices.
Happy readers!
I forgot to take a photo of our #classroombookaday titles last week so I made a collage. These titles were incredibly inspiring.
This week, this is what we read:
(Had to include this lovely drawing on the white board by one of my students inspired by Bluebird)
Our theme? Some said friendship. Others said kindness. Others said heroes.
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 Valentine’s Day, I couldn’t resist: 10 picture books about love for Top Ten Tuesday
Books I enjoyed:
100 Things That Make Me Happy by Amy Schwartz
Best striped end pages! What makes you happy? Could you list a hundred things? And do some rhyming?
Step Right Up: How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World about Kindness written by Donna Janell Bowman and illustrated by Daniel Minter
I had never heard of this amazing horse and his companion. Such a story!
Welcome by Barroux
Barroux manages to say so much by saying so little. In this book, three lost polar bears search for a new home. How are these newcomers received? A timely story in our world.
Duck, Death and the Tulip by Wolf Erlbruch
A duck and Death spend some time at the pond. Unusual. Touching. Philosophical.
Adrift at Sea: A Vietnamese Boy’s Story of Survival by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch with Tuan Ho Art by Brian Deines
A picture book that depicts a true story of the escape from Vietnam in 1981. Full of dangers, emotions and leaving home. I bought it for our class collection.
Ballet Cat: What’s Your Favorite Favorite? by Bob Shea
This is not my favorite favorite of the Ballet Cat titles but still amusing enough to be enjoyable.
Hilo #3: The Great Big Boom by Judd Wick
Quite possibly I enjoyed this one more than Hilo book 2. This is a fantastic graphic series! So entertaining that I always read them first before bringing them into my classroom library – because then, I will never see these titles again!
Newsprints by Ru Xu
Gorgeous illustrations. I found some of the story line confusing but think this graphic title will have many fans.
Finding Perfect by Elly Swartz
An emotional MG read about one young girl’s OCD that begins to spin out of control. Highly recommended.
It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas
Just fantastic! This book explores the Iranian Hostage Crisis, dealing with middle school while still figuring out America and all of the complexities of family and friendship a 12 year old girl from Iran might experience. And it’s super funny and touching and so wonderfully written! A must have for classroom libraries.
Reading Progress updates:
2017 Chapter Book Challenge: 10/75 complete
Goodreads Challenge: 52/365 books read
Progress on challenge: 3 books ahead of schedule!
#MustReadin2017: 6/30 complete
Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 10/50 titles
Diverse Books in 2016: 7/50 books read
Up next? I am reading Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer by Kelly Jones
There's a Book for That 
More Ballet Cat! So excited for this one. 🙂
I retired at the end of last school year. I gave my treasured and quite large collection of social justice books to the teacher who replaced me (she had been a student of mine in second grade). I hope she’s using them. Seeing these books make me feel a bit relieved that I won’t be spending money on them and very, very sad that I won’t be sharing then with a class anymore.
You’ve got lots of interesting looking books for me to check out! I really enjoyed Finding Perfect, but I’m not sure if my students would relate to it. Have a great week!
I noted some of your picture books for BookADay, Carrie, like The Composition. It looks good. Thanks for all the rest. There’s much to love here!
I read the new Ballet Cat this week too! I am excited for the new Hilo–a great favorite for me as well. Adrift at Sea looks powerful–one I’d like to have for my classroom library too. I hope to get to Firoozeh Dumas’s book at some point–I’m intrigued by the time period and voice for sure. Duck, Death and Tulip is one I found so fascinating–thoughtful and thought-provoking. Grateful for books in translation that tackle really tough topics because I don’t think U.S. PBs do that nearly often enough!
Added some titles to my Goodreads list, based on your post! Looks like a wonderful week of reading for you and your students!
1. Loved those chapter books too.
2. Agree with you about HiLo3 and the third Ballet Cat.
3. Loved your book lists – powerful and smart!
Always happy to read your posts. I tried really hard to read the titles of the books your students are choosing for book clubs. Recognized How to Steal a Dog and Death by Toilet Paper. Almost all the titles you shared this week are new for me. I’m off to request some new titles. Thank you!
Disappointing to hear that about Ballet Cat. I just love the Hilo books. My students were very surprised with the ending. I think I have It Ain’t So Awful, a Falafel, but haven’t read it yet. I really should!
I also adored It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas! You have an exceptional treat this week with Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer by Kelly Jones. It is one of my favourite books from last year. We will have to talk about a backyard farm when you are done.
Finding Perfect sounds like a great book for my sixth grade classroom – thanks, Carrie.
I can’t wait until Spring 2018 for Hilo #4!
So many books here that I want to read! Placed them in my Goodreads “Want To Read” stack so I’d be sure to remember, the others that are already available in our libraries, I reserved! 🙂