It’s Monday! What are you reading?
Each week I share at least one reading photo of the week.
On Halloween morning our room was full of readers. Like this witch rereading some favourite picture books.
Book sharing circles and talking about our preferences is always an activity that promotes lots of book love.
Our #classroombookaday titles were selected specifically because Halloween was this week. We had monsters, witches, goblins, ghosts and lots of laughs.
Classroom Highlights
My Monday posts now also contain some a lot of sharing from my week in the classroom.
Early in the week, the witches arrived. They are still around grumbling and whispering stories of their terrible Halloween nights or of their anger that Halloween is over. My little authors are telling these stories. Stay tuned!
This little writer is hard at work on her witch story.
In the Art and Discovery studio we drew about our families and things we like to do together.
Then we sat and told the stories of our pictures.
It is always a treat when we can end our day listening to our current read aloud The Wild Robot, drawing and doodling as we listen.
Sometimes our morning writing is to talk about Roz, the robot, the main character in The Wild Robot.
We were also very inspired by our #classroombookaday titles this week
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:
I managed to read a lot this week so am limiting this list to my favourites from the pile!
Wild One by Jane Whittingham with illustrations by Noel Tuazon
A celebratory romp through the day leaves a little one in an exhausted heap at day’s end. Incredible end pages and fun illustrations – this book is a bed time poem full of all kinds of surprising guest animals. Put it on your list as a gift book for parents of littles.
Jane is Jane from Raincity Librarian, a regular #IMWAYR blogger and I was thrilled to meet her at her Book Warehouse book launch Saturday.
Her she is signing her book that I purchased for a friend having a baby next month!
Creepy Pair of Underwear! written by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by Peter Brown
I will admit to having my doubts that this team could pull off another incredible title featuring Jasper rabbit. But they do! Glow in the dark creepy underwear is pretty amusing.
I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness by Susan Verde and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
You really will feel calmer after reading this book. The perfect title to have in classrooms that practice mindfulness strategies.
Read the Book, Lemmings! by Ame Dyckman and Zachariah OHora
There is a lot going on in this book beyond the lemmings repeatedly leaping into the ocean. A hilarious story about the importance of reading.
You Don’t Want a Unicorn! by Ame Dyckman and illustrated by Liz Climo
This may be my favourite Ame Dyckman book so far. So, so very funny. Who could have guessed that a pet unicorn could be so problematic?
The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen
So a duck and a mouse take up residence in the belly of a wolf. Only Barnett and Klassen could pull this off.
These two not only make incredible books together. They make book trailers to make you giggle.
Refugee by Alan Gratz.
I think the cover recommendation by Ruta Sepetys captures the essence of this book – engaging and important. I would go so far as to add necessary. This is a book I want to hand to everyone. Sadly, it is relevant now just as it was relevant more than 70 years ago. I think this book is either one you will devour in a few sittings or read slowly over time. I took my time. I had to stop to process. To make room for bad dreams. To worry. To cry.
This book.
Reading Progress updates:
2017 Chapter Book Challenge: 54/75 complete
Goodreads Challenge: 266/365 books read
Progress on challenge: 42 books behind schedule.
#MustReadin2017: 24/30 complete
Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 34/50 titles
Diverse Books in 2017: 39/50 books read
Up next? I am reading Me and Marvin Gardens by A.S. King
There's a Book for That 
What a great reading week! One of my favourite PBs from last year was You Don’t Want a Unicorn. Every grade loves to hear that one in the library. The 5/6 boys read it several times. Wild Robot as well! So good. I thought I might read Refugee this week too, but then I loaned it to a family and it will get 2 or 3 reads in that house before it comes back to me. Thanks, as always, for sharing!
Refugee is a title that should be widely read – I am about to take it to a friend at work to read and then hoping everyone in my household might read it over the Winter break – maybe I will try it as a family read aloud. So important. I can’t wait to share You Don’t Want to be a Unicorn! with my class!
How great that you got to meet Jane! Her book sounds great! I’m looking forward to reading Read the Book, Lemmings!
It’s hilarious! It was delightful meeting Jane!
I can’t wait to see Read the Book Lemmings. What a hilarious concept for a book! Thanks for sharing the book trailer with Klassen and Barnett. I’ll definitely share that one in my Methods class this week. I forgot that I’d also read the Creepy Underwear book this week–very funny! I think I need to purchase I Am Peace. Loved all the pictures and sharing from your classroom.
Thanks Elisabeth. Creepy Underwear was pretty hilarious. Yes that trailer. These two constantly make me laugh.
Can’t wait to read Jane’s book, & I have just the family for it. I just read Creepy Underwear to Imi this week, who loved it, & loved seeing that carrot patch on one of the pages! Thanks for the others, Carrie, have bookmarked them, and yes, Refugee is a must read!
Jane’s book is the perfect read again and again bedtime story. I enjoyed spoting that carrot patch too! So clever.
Thank you so much for coming on Saturday, it was so neat to be able to meet you IRL!
Refugee sounds both heartbreaking and inspiring – so many young people have been touched by war, famine, natural disasters and other terrible events, it’s so important that we share their stories, and give real names and faces to refugees who have become statistics and news headlines. I can’t wait to have my own copy.
Yes, I appreciate owning this book so I can now lend it out to many. It is so well done. And so essential. Loved meeting you and can’t wait to pass on your book to my friend!
WOW! What a week you’ve had. Looks like your class has a great Halloween. I am definitely going to have to look for Wild One, sounds great, as do all the books you have here. I am reading Refugee now and I fully expect to shed some tears over it. Thanks for sharing.
It is a powerful book with important stories. Wild One is lovely!
I think everything Klassen and Barnett do is genius! The trailer is great 🙂
Love Ame Dyckman. Looking forward to Lemmings.
Thanks for sharing the pic of Jane at her signing, how exciting!
I think they are genius as well! And Ame Dyckman, always hilarious!
We have to read Read the Book, Lemmings! Looks wonderful
It is really cute!
Can’t wait to read Jane’s book!
Hopefully you will carry it at your store when it is published in the U.S.
Thanks for posting a review of Wild One. Looking forward to reading Jane’s book!
My copy of Read the Book Lemmings will be delivered tomorrow! Can’t wait!
Happy reading!
Dear Carrie, How are you? Are you on instagram? XO Mina
Mina Javaherbin http://www.minajavaherbin.com
I’m not. Nice to hear from you!! I am well. New school last year. It was a big change but am settling in!
It’s so cool that you got to meet Jane! I’m anxious to read Wild One!
It’s great that a few of us #IMWAYR bloggers live in Vancouver. I know Cheriee as well.
Refugee is important and necessary and heart wrenching. I’m putting it on my Newbery possibilities list. I’m requesting Wild One and Read the Book, Lemmings. Thanks for your recommendations, Carrie.
My pleasure Ramona! Happy Reading!