Divya Srinivasan | There's a Book for That

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

My favourite reading photo of the week is this picture taken during Reading Workshop. It highlights that all kinds of readers choose all kinds of books. Dr. Seuss? Check. Browsing some Elephant and Piggie titles? Check. Some amazing graphic novels? In Raina Telgemeier‘s Sisters, absolutely!

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.

My favourite picture books of the week?

Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature’s Survivors poems by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Beckie Prange

The end pages alone are reason to own this book. (That’s my current #1 reason why I must have it) Poet and artist celebrate nature’s successes. Who has been around for a long time and continues to thrive? Introduced in order of their evolutionary arrival, read poems and facts about such creatures as the squirrel, ants, geckos and diatoms. Fascinating and a lyrical experience all at once. Blending of art, poetry and nonfiction.

Octopus Alone by Divya Srinivasan

Wow. These illustrations. So very, very beautiful. Octopus is overwhelmed by the curious seahorses who find her so fascinating. She seeks out a quieter home but eventually misses her friends. I like the honouring of needing space but that it isn’t necessarily forever.

123 versus ABC by Mike Boldt

Super silly – an ideal title for reading aloud and then left to be read and reread individually and with a buddy. Such fun! Is this an ABC book or a counting book? The argument between letters and numbers travels through the pages. It doesn’t take long to catch on to what is happening but it sure is fun following it all through to the end. I bought this book for my classroom library.

Goodnight Songs by Margaret Wise Brown Illustrated by 12 Award Winning Artists

Lovely lullaby poems made even lovelier by the various artists who illustrated this collection. It’s difficult to pick a favourite page but I certainly had fun trying. I did choose a favourite poem though: Wooden Town. I can just imagine that I would have been reading this poem to my children when they were younger again and again and again.

And in novel reading . . .

Serafina’s Promise by Ann E. Burg (Middle Grade)

A novel in verse set in Haiti. Serafina lives in poverty with her family and her ambitious dreams of one day being a doctor. At eleven, she tries to convince her parents to send her to school. Hardships and natural disasters abound but Serafina’s strength and dreams persist.

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson (Young Adult)

What a read. Sad. Vulnerable. Full of raw mistakes and huge hopes. Grief. Passion. Love. Despair. Family dynamics of so many varieties. It seems a book that pulls the reader through so many emotions may leave that reader exhausted and done by the end of the pages. Yet, this title is strangely energizing. It leaves you wanting more. Rooting for everyone. Lighter.

Next up? I have started The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney. I am still reading The Turtle of Oman: A Novel by Naomi Shihab Nye. I don’t seem to pick this title up very often and tend to keep starting other books. This week it’s time to get it read or abandon it.

Reading Goal Updates:

2014 Chapter Book Challenge: 79/100 novels complete (I have made the pile of 21 titles I must finish in order to meet this challenge. Will I get it done is the big big question)

Goodreads Challenge: 570/650 books read (49 books behind)

#MustReadin2014: 21/30 complete

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 131/65 complete

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? Celebrate your weekly reading by joining Jen and Kellee’s meme and link up with other reading enthusiasts sharing their reads from picture books to young adult reads.

I enjoyed many great books during this past week and tried to fit in some last minute Nerdy Book Club nominations 🙂

Picture Books I loved:

Neville written by Norman Juster and illustrated by G. Brian Karas I read this book with my reading group and we shared questions we had before, during and after the story. An amazing book to inspire questions and discussion. A boy moves to a new town and heads out for a walk, unhappy about his move and convinced he will be friendless. When he begins to yell the name “Neville!” interesting things begin to happen. I adored this book.

Jangles, a BIG fish story by David Shannon Part folklore, part mystery, part adventure – all good 🙂 Gorgeous oil paintings give this book an eerie aura.

Rocket Writes a Story by Tad Hills I agree, of course, with many other readers that this book is an ideal story to share when highlighting the writing process. Love the little yellow bird and the big tree of inspiration.

Little Owl’s Night by Divya Srinivasan Stunning art helps narrate this story of a nighttime adventure in the forest. Perfect for teaching about nocturnal animals.

Chopsticks Amy Krause Rosenthal Scott Magoon A fun story about friendship, independence and loyalty with just the right dose of humour “mixed in.”

A few holiday stories shared with my class:

Home for Christmas by Jan Brett My students loved paying attention to the detailed illustrations for hints of what was coming up next in the story. I have many holiday books by Jan Brett on my bookshelf. Always so festive and sweet.

Just Right For Christmas by Birdie Black and Rosalind Beardshaw This book was shared in my class this week, more details here. A story with elements of Phoebe Gilman‘s Something from Nothing or Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback.

Some non-fiction themed books:

The Journey: Stories of Migration written by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Lambert Davis I have been sharing sections of this book all term with my class as we learn about migration. The illustrations were vivid and detailed and the stories very easy to follow for my Grade 2/3 students. Lots of learning!

A Strange Places to Call Home written by Marilyn Singer and illustrated by Ed Young The pictures in this book are incredible and I really enjoyed reading more about each creature and their strange habitats at the back of the book. Did I love all of the poems? Some more than others . . .

The novel I finished this week was a young adult read called Ask the Passengers by A.S. King. Great characters and beautiful writing. I quickly requested other titles by this author from the library. Astrid Jones holds her feelings and questions close as she tries to navigate small town life and big world questions with a family not really along for the ride. Everyone in her two parent, two kid family feels very much on their own and so Astrid connects with the unknown passengers on the planes that fly overhead. A story that explores love, friendship and family dynamics.