It’s Monday! What are you reading?
Each week I share at least one reading photo of the week. Here are a few.
Nonfiction sharing circles to generate excitement about nonfiction reading!
Quiet moments during Reading Workshop.
This little Dory Fantasmagory fan can’t put this series down!
How I love independent reading time!
I need to play catch up with sharing #classroombookaday titles Here are the books we have been reading. See if you can guess each weekly theme.
Classroom Highlights
Making mini homes in the Art and Discovery studio. These are just incredible!
Drawing our creations.
Nonfiction fact detectives.
Making nature art in the garden with fallen materials.
Gorgeous flower gardens painted for Mother’s Day cards.
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 loved:
I Walk with Vanessa: A Story about a Simple Act of Kindness by Kerascoët
This book is a must own, must share title. One of the loveliest titles to talk about what it is to stand up and stand with someone who has been bullied. Wordless and absolutely wonderful.
Yak and Dove written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Esmé Shapiro
I love the quirkiness of Maclear’s books – this one still has some eccentric elements but it is a wonderful collection of three friendship stories.
One Family by George Shannon with illustrations by Blanca Gomez
One family might be so many things.
Albie Newton written by Josh Funk with illustrations by Ester Garay
Josh Funk introduces us to little Albie Newton, boy genius. Little Albie has concocted quite the plan to make some new friends. Will his classroom survive a day of his tinkering and imagining? Told in Funk’s signature rhyming style.
I’ve Got Feet!: Fantastical Feet of the Animal World by Julie Murphy with illustrations by Hannah Tolson
The perfect story time nonfiction read aloud for younger listeners. The unique feet animals have and how they use them.
Alfie: (The Turtle That Disappeared) by Thyra Heder
Kind of brilliant. Tells a pet story like none I have ever read.
The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor
Middle grade perfection. Connor just keeps getting better and better. I dare you not to want to root for Mason Buttle as every kind of grief soaked kind of bad luck gets thrown at him. This story has so many layers. Would be a fantastic read aloud in a middle grade classroom. (Grade 5 and up)
A Land of Permanent Goodbyes by Atia Abawi
This young adult novel does not shy away from any of the harrowing details that are part of a refugee’s journey. Follow Tareq and his family as he leaves Syria in search of safety and hope.
Escape from Aleppo by N.H. Senzai
I learned so much about the Syrian crisis in this book about Nadia and her desperate search to become reunited with her family as her city is being bombed. This is a middle grade read.
Up next? Think I will be picking up an adult novel – every so often, it happens!
Reading Progress updates:
2018 Chapter Book Challenge: 20/60 complete
2018 Transitional Chapter books: 8/40 complete
Goodreads Challenge: 95/300 books read
Progress on challenge: 14 books behind schedule
#MustReadin2018: 12/30 complete
Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 9/40 titles
Diverse Books in 2018: 16/40 books read
There's a Book for That 
I have many of these on my list, Carrie, but have not read any of them. I do love that more books are being written about the plight of refugees. I wish more adults would be reading them, too! Thanks for all, will put A Land of Permanent Goodbyes toward the top of my list!
I have many students who are refugees. I want to be informed and try to understand even a small part of their experience so I keep reading.
Oh how I’ve enjoyed A Land of Permanent Goodbyes (and I have most of the rest already on my TBR list). I appreciate seeing your reading photos of the week as well as your bookshelves. I’m intrigued by the ones around the theme of dark, this week. Have a wonderful reading week, Carrie!
We enjoyed exploring these stories of the night!
I just put I Walk with Vanessa on my list. 🙂
LOVE this one.
Well now you have me intrigued about Alfie. Must check that one out!
It’s such a charming story.
We are going to see Josh Funk at a local bookstore this Saturday. His book is so much fun. Can’t wait to read I Walk with Vanessa
I would love to meet Josh in person!
Goodness, I need to get to Mason Buttle! My kind of story.
I’ve had A Land of Permanent Goodbyes from the library, just no time to get to it. Maybe this summer?
I haven’t seen, are you staying in the same grade(s) for next year?
Hopefully – Likely 3 or 2/3. Mason Buttle is so great.
I Walk with Vanessa is such a marvelous book. I agree. MUST OWN! I could read it again and again and again. I loved the pictures of your students. They seem like such a wonderful group!
They are pretty fabulous! And yes, I Walk with Vanessa is just an incredible title.
I own a copy of One Family and love it. I look forward to finding I Walk With Vanessa and Escape from Aleppo which is so timely, given what’s happening to the world. Have a great reading week, Carrie!
Thanks Myra. Escape from Aleppo is an incredible story but also full of history and information.
I adored The Truth as told by Mason Buttle. I agree that her writing is amazing. Every new book wows me more than the last, and that is saying a lot!
I completely agree!