It’s Monday! What are you reading?

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. You are guaranteed to find something new to add to your list.

The picture books I enjoyed this week:

Loula is Leaving for Africa by Anne Villeneuve

How delightful is this little title? Loula is done with her brothers (triplets! can you imagine?) and has decided she is running away to Africa. Luckily the family chauffeur knows the way . . . Full of adventure and kindness.

Picture a Tree by Barbara Reid

Such a treat for the senses. Calming and inspiring at the same time. Surprised it’s taken me a while to get to this book. Now, of course, I want my own copy.

The Big Adventure of the Smalls by Helen Stephens

I know that if we had had this book when my children were teeny, it would have been part of our nightly story time ritual. A read again and again and again title. What child wouldn’t love a sneaky adventure in and amongst an adult dinner party?

What the Heart Knows: Chants, Charms and Blessings Written by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

Just so beautiful. The text, wow . . . The illustrations, swoon. So thankful I purchased this title. It now sits on my night table so I can reread favourite poems and passages. While I love all of these poems rather passionately, Starting Now might be my favourite.

I also finished Revolution by Deborah Wiles

I have been raving about this book all day – at a rally for public education, to a friend on the street and then to my mother in law at dinner. Wow.

Where do I start with this incredible story? Maybe the best bet is how I captured its essence in less than 140 characters. Easily one of my favourite titles of 2014.

Oh @deborahwiles how brilliant are you? Revolution, a #bookaday that is now a part of me. Tears, faith, outrage, peace. What a story.

— Carrie Gelson (@CarrieGelson) September 14, 2014

Next up? I am reading Hostage Three by Nick Lake

I will admit that my nerves are still shot and I am not doing the reading I would like to be doing. I am worried about my students. (more here) I want to be working. I am tired of walking around a sidewalk. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Strikes are terrible. Plain and simple.

Reading Goal Updates: 

2014 Chapter Book Challenge: 61/100 novels complete

Goodreads Challenge: 416/650 books read

#MustReadin2014: 20/30 complete

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 106/65 complete