Dasha Tolstikova | There's a Book for That

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Teaching in a new to me school has kept me very busy. I didn’t get to post last week so am sharing reading highlights from the past 2 weeks.

Each week I share a reading photo of the week. My students have fallen deep into the land of graphic novels. Ben Hatke‘s Little Robot is a favourite.

This student is showing me that 2017 is not “coming soon” in terms of the next Hilo instalment. When you are an impatient fan, time moves too slowly.

We have continued to love exploring theme for our #classroombookaday titles. What theme is explored with these titles?

And these?

Student voice is beginning to inform our reading community. Some of the wisdom posted up through Reader’s Statements.

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:

They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel

Brilliant. So rich with possibilities to share and talk about perspective, self and the world.

Sleepover with Beatrice and Bear by Mônica Carnesi

This book is just plain adorable. What do you do if your very good friend Bear hibernates and sleeps away winter?

Hiawatha and the Peacemaker by Robbie Robertson and illustrated by David Shannon

The story of the Peacemaker and his message of peace and unity for the five warring Iroquois nations during the 14th century. An important lesson about democracy.

I loved both of these Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! titles.

We are Growing! by Laurie Keller

A humorous account of grass growing.

The Cookie Fiasco by Dan Santat

Amusing. Full of cookie crumbs and math learning.

Narwhal Unicorn of the Sea by Ben Clanton

A perfect beginning graphic series: funny, amusing and wonderfully quirky.

A Year Without Mom by Dasha Tolstikova

What a gorgeous graphic memoir. A year in the life of the author when her mother leaves her in Russia with her Grandparents to travel to America for a year. Visually stunning.

The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner

Oh, this book.Who would think that ice fishing, Irish dancing, magical elements and heroin addiction could be combined to create a story that is impossible both to put down and then to keep from immediately passing on. I have much gratitude to Kate Messner for writing this book.

Rescued by Elliot Schrefer

A hard book to read. There is so much injustice here for Raja, an orangutan brought to the states to be a pet/brother for a young boy. As time passes, it becomes even more wrong. Is there a way to make things right?

Reading Progress updates:

2016 Chapter Book Challenge: 43/75 complete

Goodreads Challenge: 262/400 books read

#MustReadin2016: 21/30 complete

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 32/100 titles

Diverse Books in 2016: 31/50 books read

Up next? I am reading It Ain’t So Awful Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas

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. This past week has been all about sorting and stacking. Where is the best spot for each book? And then how am I going to make a system so students can access titles? New grade, new class means new thinking. There is a blog post brewing . . .

And look at all of those piles! I am not even close to done.

On the Blog:

This week was all about #pb10for10! My list? Big questions: picture books that inspire philosophical discussion

Books I enjoyed:

If a T. Rex Crashes your Birthday Party written by Jill Esbaum with illustrations by Dasha Tolstikova

What could go wrong? This book provides a list. Stinky breath. Loud tantrums. Ineptitude with party games (those little arms). Pure disaster? It seems so. Or does it? A great title for dino lovers and birthday party enthusiasts. I giggled through it. Perfect story time title.

This Book Just Ate My Dog! by Richard Byrne

Really, really funny. And interactive and delightful. If I was teaching Grade 1 this year, this would be a first week read aloud.

Barnacle is Bored by Jonathan Fenske

This book is so well done. Talking about the story is giving away the story. So I’ll just say this: clever, really funny, perfect read aloud to inspire much conversation about how to look at life.

The Mutts Diaries by Patrick McDonnell

Strips collected. I love reading these first thing in the morning and just smiling to myself.

Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart

I had a really hard time leaving this book to do all of the things life requires: eat, sleep, empty the dishwasher, wake up my kids. I was completely taken with these characters from page one. Gephart can write. And her words are full of human, of beauty, of deep feelings. It’s hard to describe the reading experience. You will get battered. You will worry. You will learn. And you will connect deeply to these characters. I now want everyone I know to read this book so we can talk about it. There is so much here. And I haven’t even talked plot. Go. Find the book. Meet Lily. Meet Dunkin. You will be better because of it.