Andrea Zuill | 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. Don’t you just love this little reader in his Pjs (pyjama day) surrounded by Toon comics?

Our #classroombookaday titles were our second week of #MockCaldecott titles

Now we are ready for more in depth discussion and analysis

Classroom Highlights

We loved having our Let’s Talk Science volunteers come in to talk changing states of matter with us. We learned what sublimation means by exploring dry ice.

In math, we have been investigating multiplication. This table explored 24 and made arrays and matching equations.

I love the classroom when it is full of readers – little buddies from the K class came to read!

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:

Marigold & Daisy by Andrea Zuill

A charming little read about new sibling envy. These snails are adorably hilarious.

Watersong by Tim McCanna with illustrations by Richard Smythe

This is onomatopoeia at its best! Vivid illustrations accompany these gorgeous sounds.

There’s a Snake in my School written by David Walliams and illustrated by Tony Ross

When it’s pet day . . . This snake is a whole lot of fun for everyone. Well maybe not for that grumpy headmistress!

Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years written by Stacy McAnulty and illustrated by David Litchfield

Earth tells its story = perfect to answer and inspire questions for curious kids!

A List of Cages by Robin Roe

This is definitely YA. Heartbreaking. I adored both main characters. One of those titles you just can’t put down. Friendship, care and compassion alongside some pretty horrific cruelty and abuse.

Up next? I am reading Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus

Reading Progress updates:

2018 Chapter Book Challenge: 4/60 complete

2018 Transitional Chapter books: 2/40 complete

Goodreads Challenge: 25/300 books read

Progress on challenge: 3 books ahead of schedule

#MustReadin2018: 2/30 complete

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 1/40 titles

Diverse Books in 2018: 2/40 books read

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Each week I share a reading photo of the week. During the summer, these photos will be about getting my classroom library up and running for a room full of readers in September.

Still adding to the shelves. More titles have since been labelled and are out on the shelves. I will be bringing in some more titles once I have a better sense of who my students are as readers. And I meet them (finally) this week!

I was away last week on Vancouver Island and did lots of great reading and lots of fantastic walks and hikes with my family. A few pictures below.

On the blog:

We updated our #MustReadin2016 lists. Here is mine

For #nfpb2016: First Read Alouds in a Grade 4 & 5 classroom

Books I enjoyed:

Bring Me a Rock by Daniel Miyares

I so love Miyares’ illustrations. The expressions on the faces of these insects! Rich material here to talk about power, community and contributions.

Wolf Camp by Andrea Zuill

One little dog with wolfish aspirations heads to camp to be transformed.

Monsters Go Night-Night by Aaron Zenz

Oh this is the perfect gift for little ones – bed time is a big event! It is super cute. I read this in the bookstore and there was a toddler there with his grandmother. I kind of wanted to ask if I could read it aloud to him. I think it would have been a big hit.

Inspector Flytrap #1 by Tom Angleberger and Cece Bell

Seriously silly and spirited. Part of a new series about A Venus flytrap whois a detective. He solves BIG DEAL mysteries with the help of Nina the Goat, his assistant. An illustrated chapter book.

Stinky Cecil in Operation Pond Rescue by Paige Braddock

Cecil is a toad who utilizes his stink power when necessary. Can he and his friends save their pond from development? I bought this one for my new class.

The Land of Forgotten Girls by Erin Entrada Kelly

Soledad lives with her little sister Ming and their nasty step-mother in a run down apartment in small town Louisiana. Life is nothing like it was in the Philippines. The girls miss their father who went back to the Philippines and has never returned. They mourn their mother and sister who have passed away. They manage their grief over what they have lost and their anger over their present circumstances in a variety of ways. Both rely heavily on imagination and pieces of the stories that their mother once gave them. A story of family and new lives. A fantastic main character.

Counting Thyme by Melanie Conklin

Reading a book like this reminds me that books like this are my kind of books. Achy and real. Books that squeeze my heart. Characters I want to know. An emotional ride. A beautiful, teary emotional ride. But full of hope, not sad. At least not too much sad. The hope wins.

How to Speak Dolphin by Ginny Rorby

Whoa this book. Lily has lost her mother. She lives with her step father and her little brother Adam. Adam has autism and while his father can’t face the reality of Adam’s needs and struggles, Lily is fully entrenched in the day-to-day care of Adam. This story tackles many themes – family, friendships, animal rights and boundaries. An excellent middle grade novel.