Monday March 12th, 2018

Posted on March 11, 2018 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Each week I share at least one reading photo of the week. Does it get any better than Dogman? For this little reader, nope, it really doesn’t.

Our #classroombookaday titles were all about celebrating Kevin Henkes!

Classroom Highlights

We have been exploring the question: How did living things begin? by reading this wonderful book.

We were then inspired to create a mural of the beginning of life in the ocean 1.7 to 2 billion years ago. We will continue learning this week.

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 loved:

Swimming with Seals written by Maggie de Vries and illustrated by Janice Kun

There is such a story here. This book resonates deeply as I think about all of the students I have taught who have been raised by grandparents. For all of the complicated reasons that this book hints at and then some. I teared up in the bookstore. Beautiful illustrations. A very personal story for de Vries – be sure to read the author’s note.

Florette by Anna Walker

If you love growing plants or simply wish you could, this book is a teeny bit of paradise. What happens when you need to leave your garden behind when you come to the city? Maybe, just maybe, there is a way to find green.

Kate, Who Tamed the Wind by Liz Garton Scanlon with illustrations by Lee White

Katie is kind of brilliant. That wheelbarrow full of trees over time makes a huge difference on a windy hill for a solitary man.

There’s a Bug on My Arm that Won’t Let Go by David Mackintosh

Wacky and wonderful.

Petra by Marianna Coppo

Petra is a little rock with big vision. Super cute.

They Say Blue by Jillian Tamaki

Wow. The colours here. Poetic and lovely. I understand the early Caldecott buzz.

Don’t Throw It to Mo! written by David A Adler and illustrated by Sam Ricks

Love these little titles for beginning readers. Mo is pretty adorable.

King & Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog Treats (King & Kayla, #1) written by Dori Hillestad Butler with illustrations by Nancy Meyers

I am SO excited about this mystery series! Many of my students couldn’t wait to read this one. Dog lovers and mystery lovers will tear through these pages of this early chapter book title.

Dory Fantasmagory: Head in the Clouds by Abby Hanlon

I might have just made a special trip to the book store for this one and then read it that very night. Oh Dory, how I adore you! In this book, Dory has a loose tooth and you can just imagine her tooth fairy hopes and dreams.

Counting Sheep (Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet #2) by Jacqueline Kelly

I was pleasantly surprised to discover this historical fiction transitional chapter book series featuring Calpurnia Tate from the novel I loved. Well written and totally engaging. I can’t wait to share this one with my students and plan to purchase the other titles in the series.

Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess by Shari Green

A Schneider Family Book award winner – this is what drew me to this MG verse novel. I started and didn’t stop reading until the final page. This book is so very special. Macy discovers the power of stories as she has to reimagine her own during a personal time of change. Full of lovely things – books, gardens, wise women and delicious cookies.

We are Okay by Nina LaCour (YA)

Sad and powerful. Absolutely beautifully written.

Up next: I am still reading The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley as I picked up a lot of other titles this week and started reading . . .

Reading Progress updates:

2018 Chapter Book Challenge: 10/60 complete

2018 Transitional Chapter books: 7/40 complete

Goodreads Challenge: 65/300 books read

Progress on challenge: 8 books ahead

#MustReadin2018: 6/30 complete

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 7/40 titles

Diverse Books in 2018: 8/40 books read

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten dinner invitations I would accept in the world of MG and YA books

Posted on September 14, 2015 by carriegelson

It’s time for Top Ten Tuesday, a meme created by The Broke and Bookish.

This week’s topic? Our choice

My choice? Ten dinner invitations I would accept in the world of MG and YA books. If these characters invited me for dinner, I would be there with bells on. Why? The conversation, the quirky family dynamics, the interesting characters and in some cases, a really true sense that the food would be great! It is dinner after all 🙂

If they asked, I would be there – in these books:

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

Really I want to hang on every word from the Grandfather and some of those dinners did sound pretty amazing.

How to Outrun a Crocodile when Your Shoes are Untied by Jess Keating

It might be squishy at that table when they move to the zoo but I have the feeling dinner conversations would be fascinating.

The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy

Partly it’s because I adore these boys. Partly it’s because I love the Dads. And oh, such a beautiful, messy, busy, loving family vibe.

The Truth about Twinkie Pie by Kat Yeh

It may be that I want to try one of these sugar filled dessert recipes just to see if I explode but also, I really am rooting for these girls.

The Penderwicks in Spring by Jeanne Birdsall

I would come and eat with the Penderwicks at any age and stage. I love this family up, down, sideways and around in circles.

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage

I could hang out in this diner all day spying on small town curiosities. But I would definitely do a dinner or two.

After Iris by Natasha Farrant

I actually may not get served dinner in this eccentric family – but wow, would I like to do take out pizza with this sibling group.

The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron

Yes, I would like to squeeze into the trailer and dine with Lucky and Brigitte. And for dessert? Cookies of course. With Miles.

Listen, Slowly by Thanhhà Lai

Oh how I would love to attend dinner with this family. And I am sitting next to Grandma.

Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles

Well. I would eat any meal with this family. It could be funeral fare. It could be leftovers. Sign me up.

And you? Which book do you hope invites you for dinner?

In the world of books: 25 girls who stand out

Posted on July 11, 2015 by carriegelson

I am celebrating the characters in middle grade and young adult novels who make strong impressions. When you read a lot of novels, there is the wonderful opportunity to “meet” many incredible characters. First, it was these 25 boys that I wanted to highlight. Now, it’s time for the girls!

These are the female characters who have stayed with me. I sometimes worry about them. I stop and remember their actions. The big and bold things and the quietly brave. I admire their choices, the way they move on from mistakes, their soul searching. I honour these 25 girls who live beyond the pages of the books they live in.

Sophie in Endangered written by Eliot Schrefer

Francesca Schnell in The Summer of Letting Go written by Gae Polisner

Flora Belle Buckman in Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures written by Kate DiCamillo

Marlee in The Lions of Little Rock written by Kristin Levine

Jewel in Bird written by Crystal Chan

Comfort Snowberger in Each Little Bird That Sings written by Deborah Wiles

Fern in See you at Harry’s written by Jo Knowles

Vera in Please Ignore Vera Dietz written by A.S. King

Georgie Burkhardt in One Came Home written by Amy Timberlake

May in May B. written by Caroline Starr Rose

Hattie Brooks in Hattie Big Sky written by Kirby Larson

Calpurnia Virginia Tate in The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate written by Jacqueline Kelly

Lucy in Half a Chance written by Cynthia Lord

Josie in Out of the Easy written by Ruta Sepetys

Stargirl Caraway in Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Gloriana (Glory) June Hemphill in Glory Be written by Augusta Scattergood

Gabi Hernandez in Gabi, A Girl in Pieces written by Isabel Quintero

Turtle in Turtle in Paradise written by Jennifer L. Holm

Liesel Meminger in The Book Thief written by Markus Zusak

Georgina Hayes in How to Steal a Dog written by Barbara O’Connor

Hayley Kincain in The Impossible Knife of Memory written by Laurie Halse Anderson

Rose in Rain Reign written by Ann M. Martin

Carley Connors in One for the Murphys written by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Piddy Sanchez in Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick your Ass written by Meg Medina

Willow Chance in Counting by 7s written by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Which characters would make your list?

Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases For the Rest of 2015

Posted on June 8, 2015 by carriegelson

Considering how much I love books (the reading, the talking about and the book loving community) and how often I make lists of books, I thought it was time to begin participating in Top Ten Tuesday, a meme created by The Broke and Bookish.

This week’s theme? Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases For the Rest of 2015

Listed by date of release.

Survival Strategies of the Almost Brave by Jen White (June 2015)

This is an unknown author for me but I am seeing some positive reviews from my Goodreads friends and I have a thing about resilient kids . . .

Delicate Monsters by Stephanie Kuehn (June 2015)

I have read two other titles from Kuehn. They were dark, serious and very well written – looking forward to more.

The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly (July 2015)

I read the first Calpurnia Tate title to my children on a family holiday in Hawaii. We were smitten with the character, the time and the science. Sign me up for more.

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness (August 2015)

A Monster Calls was a wow title for me. This one looks like a wild ride.

Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead (August 2015)

Rebecca Stead. Rebecca Stead. Rebecca Stead!

I Crawl Through It by A.S. King (September 2015)

Okay so who is with me in being thrilled that A.S. King is so brilliant and so prolific?

Stand Off (Winger #2) by Andrew Smith (September 2015)

Loved, loved Winger. Love Andrew Smith.

The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell (September 2015)

So if one were to judge a book by its cover . . . this is pretty gorgeous. But I have also read two titles by Rundell this year and am ready for more.

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate (September 2015)

Yes, that Katherine. Oh so very excited.

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt (October 2015)

Okay for Now by Schmidt is one of my all time favourite MG titles. The man is brilliant.

What 2015 titles are you looking forward to reading?

Monday September 2nd, 2013

Posted on September 2, 2013 by carriegelson

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 reads!

My last almost 2 weeks of reading was vacation reading so exclusively novels – read by the pool, on the plane and out on the lanai during a trip to Maui. Even though the view was this beautiful, I did manage to read!

In the last two weeks I read . . .

Rules by Cynthia Lord

Don’t ask me how I hadn’t read this novel yet. But I hadn’t, and I had sure been missing out. A story of courage, of mistakes, of normal preteen self-consciousness wrapped up in the character of Catherine who has grown up with a brother with autism. Such an important perspective – how is it for the sibling of the child with special needs? It turns out that while Catherine is far from perfect, she is beautifully brave and compassionate and real. Loved this title.

When Life Gives you O.J. by Erica S. Perl

Everything I had heard about this title was about it being funny. And it certainly was funny but there was much more to this novel than humour. I loved how it explored preteen friendship and the dynamics of family relationships – from annoying to amazing.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

I read this aloud to my children and we all adored it. Such an interesting and engaging book. Set in 1899, we learn about Calpurnia who is born into a family of boys and has a huge interest and curiousity about the natural world. Calpurnia “fits” best with her Grandfather who spends his days surrounded by the natural world, his notebooks, specimen jars and notebooks. This title has everything I love in a book – it is all about nature and wonder, there is much to learn about another time and a wonderful relationship between grandfather and granddaughter is shared. Plus it is funny and is wonderful as a read aloud title.

The Outlandish Adventures of Liberty Aimes by Kelly Easton

This is an odd little title – part fantasy, part adventure, part magic. Liberty Aimes has much to discover about the world when she escapes her strange home and cruel father. I can see kids finding this an interesting read. For me, it was okay at best.

Prairie Evers by Ellen Airgood

I really liked this little middle grade novel that centers on friendship, family and raising chickens! Prairie has a lot of adjusting to do when her family moves, her grandmother moves out and after years of homeschooling, she is sent to school. Lovely family dynamics. Believable characters and a well told story.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I was well prepared that this book could be a hard read – emotional, heartbreaking, sad beyond measure. And it was all of those things. What nobody told me was how much this was just the day to day story of beautiful people in a horrible time and how these people would haunt me as I rooted for them to make it through. What a story. A testament to the human spirit and its capacity for love and compassion.

What’s next? I am currently reading Cinder by Marissa Meyer and then plan to read Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein. With my children, I am reading The Fire Chronicle by John Stephens.