July | 2018 | There's a Book for That

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Each week I share at least one reading photo of the week. Since it is summer, I have no photos of little readers to share. So here is a photo of the lending library I just set up in my cloakroom for previous students to access.

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

The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld

Oh, this book. It is a must have for primary teachers. There are a myriad of emotions explored here. And a lot of advice. Sometimes, though, it is all about being heard.

Draw the Line by Kathryn Otoshi

This title explores conflict, cooperative play and creative solutions. Wordless.

Trees by Lemniscates

A beautiful exploration of trees and seasons.

Vivid: Poems & Notes about Color by Julie Paschkis

This one is released later this month. A gorgeous exploration of colours – from the factual to the imaginative. Absolutely wonderful.

Bugs from Head to Tail by Stacey Roderick with illustrations by Kwanchai Moriya

I am very excited about this nonfiction titles as an inspiration for our own writing. An ideal mentor text. Part of a series by Kids Can Press. Guess and check and lots more.

The Secret Kingdom: Nek Chand, a Changing India, and a Hidden World of Art by Barb Rosenstock with illustrations by Claire A. Nivola

This story fascinated me. I can’t wait to share it with students and to use it as a source of inspiration for creativity and imagining with loose parts.

Big Foot and Little Foot by Ellen Potter

A new series by Ellen Potter that I will be adding to our classroom library. Boy and Sasquatch become unlikely friends. Many adventures await, I am sure. A wonderful book about noticing and managing differences in a world of assumptions.

Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed

Completely engaging. What a wonderful choice for the Global Read Aloud. Amal is an incredibly courageous and compassionate character.

Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Truly haunting. A story of ghosts – dead black boys who have been killed in ridiculously unnecessary ways. Blurs history with fiction. Such a read. Would make an incredible read aloud in a middle school classroom.

Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead

Sweet and endearing. Loved this title full of magic and affection.

Up next? The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

Reading Progress updates:

2018 Chapter Book Challenge: 29/60 complete

2018 Transitional Chapter books: 9/40 complete

Goodreads Challenge: 131/300 books read

Progress on challenge: 35 books behind schedule

#MustReadin2018: 18/30 complete

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 16/40 titles

Diverse Books in 2018: 22/40 books read

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Each week I share at least one reading photo of the week.

Here are students completing lists of their favourite books of the year. We created this list together.

Buddy reading with the Grade 1 class and some of my students from last year who came to visit.

#classroombookaday titles included some of my favourite nonfiction titles.

Classroom Highlights

Working on symmetry with square tiles and pentominoes.

How cute is this book worm handmade for me by a student?

Nonfiction titles that shaped our year.

Books I loved

Islandborn written by Junot Díaz with illustrations by Leo Espinosa

This is definitely a title that will be part of my Mock Caldecott list for 2019. Lola needs to draw a picture of where she is from but she doesn’t have any memories. So she asks family, friends and members of the community to talk about images of the Island where she was born. What results is a vivid journey into memories and stories. Longer text and stunning illustrations. One of my favourites of the year.

Drawn Together written by Minh Lê and illustrated by Dan Santat

I always love texts that portray intergenerational relationships. A special story about how grandson and grandfather find a way to connect

Happy Dreamer by Peter H. Reynold

Bursting with hope, inspiration and reassurance. Lovely little book.

Flashlight Night written by Matt Forrest Esenwinewith illustrations by Fred Koehler

What might you see when you point your flashlight into dark spaces? Gorgeous and imaginative.

Dude! by Aaron Reynolds and Dan Santat

One word tells this story of two little friends – a platypus and a beaver encounter a shark. What you think might happen doesn’t. Pretty cute.

Love Is by Diane Adams with illustrations by Claire Keane

One duckling and one girl that cares for her over a year. Sweet.

I Am a Cat by Galia Bernstein

Kitten meets big cats – the big cats. He is not like them, they each point out. But little Simon clearly is cat enough.

Olga #2 We’re Out of Here by Elise Gravel

Elise Gravel has a wonderfully weird mind that allows her to come up with odd and quirky books. High student appeal – the only reason I got to read this one is that summer happened and it ended up back on the shelf. The second in a series – full of humour and fun. And lots of unexpected.

In Sight of Stars by Gae Polisner

Beautiful writing takes us through the hard and heartbreak of the grieving process – sometimes so muddy and muddled we need a lot of guidance getting through. Loved Klee and all of those guiding him through. Polisner is one of my favourite YA authors. I will read anything she writes!