Jack Cheng | There's a Book for That

Which books stand out from an entire year or reading? Titles that didn’t leave me. Books I have wanted to share. To reread. That I have particular plans for. Books that I have read to multiple audiences. Books full of the beautiful and the hopeful. Wonder. Inspiration. Humanity. Sorrow and hope. Books I recommend highly. Books I am pleased to celebrate here.

The 17 books that made the final cut? I chose everything from picture books to young adult novels. Middle grade novels. Transitional chapter books. All of it. (except for nonfiction titles – they got a list all their own)

17 books and no more than 17 words of raving. This was my challenge last year with my Favourites of 2016 (16 books, 16 words) Each year it has been the same: Favourites of 2015 (15 books, 15 words), Favourites of 2014 (14 books, 14 words), Favourites of 2013 (13 books, 13 words) and (12 books, 12 words) with my 2012 Favourites. Each year, I get one more book and one more word to play with!

17 favourites of 2017

Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell

Nearly wordless. All about important things. Kindness. Trust. Simplicity.

Town is by the Sea written by Joanne Schwartz and illustrated by Sydney Smith

Daily life in a Cape Breton mining town. Illustrations that literally freeze place and time.

The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet! by Carmen Agra Deedy and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin

Our voices cannot be silenced. Timely and timeless.

Little Fox in the Forest by Stephanie Graegin

Wordless and wonderful. Rich with kindness and longing for how we connect.

My Beautiful Birds by Suzanne Del Rizzo

How can we leave one life to begin another? A refugee experience full of sadness and hope.

The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken

A creative and inspiring journey that celebrates how what goes wrong is equally exactly right.

Now by Antoinette Portis

Being in the moment has never been celebrated with such lovely wonder and beauty.

Out of Wonder Poems Celebrating Poets by Kwame Alexander with Chris Colderley and Marjorie Wentworth illustrations by Ekua Holmes

Oh this book of poems and art. Kind of speechless.

Charlie & Mouse & Grumpy (Charlie & Mouse, #2) written by Laurel Snyder and illustrated by Emily Hughes

Endearing and lovely. Sibling antics. Silly stories. Hilarious illustrations. Reading gold.

A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold

Bat, his family and a little orphaned skunk make up a cast of characters that you must meet.

Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams-Garcia

So I kind of love everything about Clayton Byrd.

Me and Marvin Gardens by Amy Sarig King (A.S. King)

I can’t get Obe and Marvin Gardens out of my head.

Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder

Suspend belief. Be uncertain. Allow yourself to get lost in this story. Incredible writing.

See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng

I adore Alex Petroski. His journey to capture the essence of Earth reveals his vulnerable, complicated existence.

Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk

An isolated setting. Unique characters. Mystery and intrigue and simplicity that makes a can’t put down story.

Refugee by Alan Gratz.

You will cry. Shake your head. Fret. Dream terrible things. Read this book. Hand it to everyone.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Necessary reading for anyone who happens to currently be human. Deserving of all the hype.

Please share your own favourites of the year . . .

Wishing everyone a 2018 full of new favourites and lots of reading!

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Each week I share a reading photo of the week. Here are a few from the past week.

A row of readers.

Getting comfy.Pouring over I Yam a Donkey! during buddy reading.#classroombookaday photos. I have a few to share! We have explored lots of themes in this last month!

So, I have been missing in action here for about a month. Lots of reasons – all about being busy, busy, busy. My daughter’s dance year end show and competitive season has been a very enjoyable full on commitment (involving many full weekends). Any extra time has been about the year end stuff – report cards, class organizations, supporting friends who are switching jobs. And . . . I have been filling my own fitness schedule with lots of dance – Zumba classes, an Adult Hip Hop and a month ago, I started Adult Tap. So much fun! I took years of tap dancing when I was a child and it is all coming back to me. I am looking forward to a summer full of dance, gardening and reading catch up. Hurrah for the #bookaday challenge.

Other relevant news – I am returning to my primary roots and will be teaching Grade 3 again in the fall. Very excited to transform my room from a Grade 4/5 class back to a primary room. Especially excited to once again, work on the classroom library!

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:

Dragon was Terrible written by Kelly DiPucchio and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli

Absolutely charming and ever so naughty, this dragon. I am now on the lookout for a classroom copy of this book. Who can tame this dragon? It is no easy feat. But the journey is beyond hysterical!

Give Me Back my Book! by Travis Foster and Ethan Long

Two friends argue over one green book. As their argument progresses, the reader learns all about the components of a book and enjoys some humorous twists.

Goldfish Ghost written by Lemony Snicket and illustrated by Lisa Brown

This title might be passed over by some as a little too out there and dark. I think it is quietly clever and speaks to some important themes: the cycle of life, belonging and companionship. A Well Mannered Young Wolf written by Jean Leroy and illustrated by Matthieu Maudet

It seems that good manners do not serve wolves very well. Loved this one!

Juana & Lucas by Juana Medina

Oh, how I want this title for my Grade 3 classroom library this fall! Juana does NOT love learning English or a bunch of other things. But she also is very specific about what she does love. All is detailed in this wonderfully illustrated early chapter book. Hoping for more of Juana in the future!

See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng

How I adore Alex Petroski – an 11 year old who records his world on his iPod to sent into space to show what Earth is really like. His journey to capture the essence of Earth reveals all the details of his vulnerable and complicated existence. HIGHLY, highly recommended!

Gem & Dixie by Sara Zarr

A young adult realistic fiction read. Two sisters. Two parents that haven’t delivered. A lot of pain, neglect and figuring it out. My fourteen year old loved this one.

The Other Boy by M.G. Hennessey

Shane has moved to a new city with his Mom and his classmates at his new school only know him as Shane, a baseball playing guy in middle school. But Shane’s past surfaces and how he navigates the upset and stressors of this is handled so believably. An important book for our school and classroom libraries – this one about a trans child transitioning from female to male.