It’s Monday! What are you reading?
Each week I share a reading photo of the week. Typically, I have more than one to share!
I love happening upon keen readers perched all over the room.
I am the #1 Reader spotter. I find them no matter where they hide!
Buddy reading spots
Lots of #classroombookaday photos to share. Can you see a theme in each collection?
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:
Out of Wonder Poems Celebrating Poets by Kwame Alexander with Chris Colderley and Marjorie Wentworth illustrations by Ekua Holmes
Here, I am speechless about this book. I can’t wait to begin reading poems from it aloud to my students. It will be inspiring more words. More poetry. More imagining. BUY this book! Your classroom or library need to have this title.
This is How We Do it: One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids from around the World by Matt Lamothe I featured this title here.
Piper Green and the Fairy Tree: Going Places by Ellen Potter with illustrations by Qin Leng
This series is so popular with a few of my students. It has appeal for independent readers from a really broad age range. I had Grade 2s who loved this series. Now I have Grade 4s who love these books. This fourth title is a lot of fun. I love Piper’s bold conviction.
Princess Cora and the Crocodile written by Laura Amy Schlitz with illustrations by Brian Floca
I am pretty certain that most pet lists do not include crocodiles. This one turns out to be pretty amusing and wonderfully, hilariously heroic.
Terror at Bottle Creek by Watt Key
An incredible adventure story that will have you on the edge of your seat. A Gulf Coast Hurricane creates conditions absolutely terrifying for 13 year old Cort and his two neighbours he is trying to keep safe.
Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson
Jade is a black student on scholarship at a mostly white private school. She questions the supports and opportunities offered to her as she struggles to figure out what she wants in her future. This title explores so many relationships: family, friendships, mentor/mentee, student/teacher. Jade’s voice is one that will weave questions into your head that will remain there for some time. Loved all of the things this book made me think about.
Matylda Bright and Tender by Holly M. McGhee
This little book is all kinds of tender indeed. It holds you up through the heartbreaking and consoles you through all the hard. A beautiful middle grade read about friendship and grief and all the many ways to hope.
Reading Progress updates:
2017 Chapter Book Challenge: 21/75 complete
Goodreads Challenge: 112/365 books read
Progress on challenge: On schedule!
#MustReadin2017: 13/30 complete
Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 18/50 titles
Diverse Books in 2016: 16/50 books read
Up next? I am reading a bunch of things including Moon Shadow by Erin Downing
There's a Book for That 
I have Out of Wonder, but haven’t read it yet. I’ve put Terror at Bottle Creek on my list, & the library has it! I still need to read Piecing Me Together. You’ve made it sound like a must-read. Thanks, Carrie. Have a great week!
Piecing Me Together is on my TBR list/pile. I think it’s one I’ll get to this summer. So many great things have been said about it.
I love how your students are reading a variety of books – because reading and books are for everyone!
Piper Green is one of those series to look forward to reading no matter what age you are. She is such a spunky character!
Piecing Me Together is on my list also. Matylda Bright and Tender Sounds lovely, but I’m going to wait and see how heartbreaking When Friendship Followed Me Home is before I read anymore grief filled books for a while.
I adore everything Qin Leng illustrates. 🙂
I NEED Out of Wonder in my life.
It’s so funny to see the spots kids find to read in – many a time I’ve been roving around the library only to be startled by a child who’s squished themselves into a teeny tiny nook and is happily reading a book. 🙂
I absolutely loved Out of Wonder. I am always trying to convince my students that poetry is worth reading. They are always extremely dubious of it though. That makes me sad. But in a way, i get it. I used to be the same way. School has a tendency to ruin poetry, doesn’t it?
You are the second person to write about Out of Wonder this Monday. We have it on the top of our TBR pile. Can’t wait to read it tonight!
Tell me more about the markers I see above many of the titles in your classroom. Are those ratings? I am returning to the classroom this fall after being an Instructional Coach for the past 3 years, and am finding myself on the lookout for new ideas around reading to try!
I recently purchased Princess Cora and the Crocodile, but before I could read it, I had a 1st grader who was looking for something new to read, and she was just perfect for this book! I have a feeling now that the book will travel around her classroom a while before I see it! Oh well, summer is just around the corner.
Yes, every week we vote for our favourite book of the week and write about the theme we think our books were all about. I love seeing which titles really spoke to which child.
I too loved Out of Wonder. I will enjoy sharing from it also. I’m eager to see This is How We Do It. Piecing Me Together is soooo good. 🙂
I just marked This is How We Do It in my To-read list in Goodreads – I have to find that one! Reserved out of wonder from our library so that I can pick it up on Sunday. 🙂
I taught a few poetry lessons recently. Students need more poetry. There’s something meditative about it that I can’t explain.
I almost bought Princess Cora and the Crocodile but I was scandalously over budget and I usually don’t buy hardcover early chapter books. I am hoping that my public library stocks it and I can have a look. Great week of reading, thanks for the post!
I just got Out of Wonder in the mail last week or so and haven’t cracked it open yet. And in fact I have no idea where I put it! It is currently lost in the many massive book stacks all over my house. But I will have to search for it over the weekend. Can’t wait to read it. I am excited about a new Piper Green novel! I have enjoyed the other books in the series very much.
Can’t wait to look at This is How We Do It!