My Must Read Titles for 2019

Posted on December 31, 2018 by carriegelson

For those readers and list makers, nothing is more exciting than January! The time to make an amazing list of books to read for the year!

Where will our reading lives take us? What adventures and emotions will we experience through the books we read? Always, there are endless possibilities.

So many books. Limited time.

New books to distract us from other books.

A must read list ensures not all are forgotten!

#MustReadin2019

Join the #MustReadin2019 community!

To read more about the challenge and add your list, read here.

MustReadnovels

Here are the 30 titles I am going to try and read over this year. As always these titles will represent only a portion of my reading. My goal? To read most of these. I use this list like a road map of where to turn next when I come to a pause in my reading choices. It is always waiting to guide me. But it also waits patiently when I am distracted by new books. Often, I am.

Making a list like this – a To Read list – also allows us to reflect on the reading that we want to do. I know I want to emphasize middle grade novels. I didn’t read as much as I usually do in 2018 so my list has more titles that are published in 2018 or earlier (19 titles) and fewer 2019 releases (11 titles).

Here is my list:

Published in 2018 or earlier

The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery

The Soul of an Octopus

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Homegoing

After Zero by Christina Collins

After Zero

Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka Read April 7th 2019 5 stars

Hey, Kiddo

The Dollar Kids by Jennifer Richard Jacobson Read April 19th 2019 5 stars

The Dollar Kids

~~Wonderland by Barbara O’Connor~~ Read November 19th 2019 5 stars
Wonderland by Barbara O'Connor

~~Harbour Me by Jacqueline Woodson~~ Read January 6th 2019 5 stars

Harbour Me by Jacqueline Woodson

~~A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena~~ Read February 11th 2019 4 stars

A Girl Like That

Far from the Tree by ~~Robin Benway~~ Read February 17th 2019 5 stars

Far from the Tree

~~The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden~~ Read March 19th 2019 5 stars

The Benefits of Being an Octopus

Lu by Jason Reynolds

All That I Can Fix by ~~Crystal Chan~~ Read January 22nd 2019 4 stars

All that I can fix, chan

From You to Me by K.A. Holt

Girl sitting on pier and lookingat the river

~~Sweep The Story of a Girl and her Monster by Jonathan Auxier~~ Read March 24th 2019 5 stars

Sweep

Tight by Torrey Maldonado

Tight

~~Wild Blues by Beth Kephart~~ Read January 29th 2019 5 stars

Wild Blues

(Time Castaways #1) The Mona Lisa Key by Liesl Shurtliff

The Mona lisa key

The Last (Endling #1) by Katherine Applegate

The Last (Endling #1) by Katherine Applegate

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang Read March 2nd 2019 5 stars

The Prince and the Dressmaker

Published in 2019

~~The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman~~ Read June 16th 2019 5 stars

Padma Venkatraman The Bridge Home

~~The Lost Girl by Anne Ursu~~ Read May 12th 2019 5 stars

The Lost Girl

~~The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart~~ Read July 2nd 2019 5 stars

Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise

Dig by A.S. King

Dig, King

~~Song for A Whale by Lynne Kelly~~ Read December 29th 2019 5 stars

Song for A Whale

Shouting at the Rain by ~~Lynda Mullaly Hunt~~ Read March 7th 2019 4 stars

Shouting at the Rain

~~Other~~ ~~Words for Home~~ by ~~Jasmine Warga~~ther Read September 17th 2019 5 stars

OtherWordsHome

~~The Size of the Truth by Andrew Smith~~ Read June 16th 2019 5 stars

Size of the Truth by Andrew Smith

To Night Owl from Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer

To Night Owl from Dogfish

Where the Heart is by Jo Knowles

Where the Heart is

The Mighty Heart of Sunny St James by Ashley Herring Blake

The Mighty Heart of Sunny St James

What novels are at the top of your TBR list? Please share!

Year End Update: #MustReadin2018

Posted on December 27, 2018 by carriegelson

In January, I had 30 titles on my #MustReadin2018 list and a plan: read at least 20 books on the list. Permission to read most of the titles makes for a more enjoyable year of reading. I still have unread titles on my list. Some I likely will not read and some just haven’t been read yet. The year isn’t over – perhaps I will be updating this post in the next few days!

Making a list like this is about being enthused about a year of reading ahead. It is also about building community. 24 other bloggers joined me in making #MustReadin2018 lists of their own. Many people remained connected all year, posting (purely optional always) updates. Others only occasionally glanced at their lists. It doesn’t matter. It’s all about being excited about an ever growing and changing book list. And sometimes, just making the list signifies a commitment to being a reader even if you don’t read a single title from your list! Other reading happens.

MustReadin2018

This year, I finished 23 out of the 30 titles. I am very pleased with this as I feel like my reading “volume” has slipped a lot this year. I am working hard to have work life balance and while reading is definitely in the “life” not “work” category, other things have pulled me away from being constantly lost in a book. Like dance classes. My family. The garden. I can read while folding laundry but don’t think I will ever figure out how to read and still tap dance!I have posted updates all year so will include just a few words about the last books on this list that I finished. Our last update was in September. I finished these four titles since that date.

Grump: The (Fairly) True Tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves by Liesl ShurtliffI

I was so very pleasantly surprised that I was able to fall into this story so fully and be transported to the imaginative fairy tale world that Shurtliff can build so wonderfully. I still love Rump the best, but this title is a close second. Can’t wait to see where Liesl Shurtliff goes next!

Grump- The (Fairly) True Tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

Sunny by Jason Reynolds

I so loved Ghost, the first title in the Track series. Through first Patina and now Sunny, we have been able to read about the other characters in depth. It was hard to sit still while reading this book (now I understand why the audio edition is so highly recommended). The reader needs to bounce, tap, shimmy and shake while reading. Sunny is a must meet character.

Sunny Jason Reynolds

Breakout by Kate Messner

Whoa. This book has so much going on beyond a prison break in a small town. It tackles a myriad of themes: friendship, systemic racism, small town dynamics, growing up. It is told through a collection of pieces meant for a time capsule: news articles, journal entries, text messages, transcribed recordings and some pretty incredible poetry (with hat tips to some sensational writers like Jacqueline Woodson, Nikki Grimes and Lin Manuel-Miranda), One main character has a brother in the prison, one has a family member soon to be named as a suspect and one has a father who is the superintendent of the town’s maximum security prison. Highly recommended.

Breakout Kate Messner

Vincent and Theo by Deborah Heiligman

Such a read. Walk through Vincent and Theo Van Gogh’s lives as though walking through a museum. Stop and enjoy a scene from their childhood. Marvel at their supportive connections. Shake your head at their many intense quarrels. Peek at their relationships – often unrequited, hidden or secretive and never ending in happiness. watch as Vincent settles into the life as artist. It is far from easy. But each step is fascinating. An emotional, beautifully written, well-researched story of the lives of Vincent and his brother, Theo Van Gogh.

Vincent and Theo- The Van Gogh Brothers

Want to know more about #MustReadin2018? Read here This post also includes links to all of the bloggers who wrote Must Read in 2018 lists.

Thinking about joining us for 2019? Please do! Make a list and read some, none or all of the titles on it. Reading is amazing but reading plans are pretty wonderful too! Just reading all of the lists is a great reason to pour a big cup of coffee and do some book dreaming! I am always in awe of the creative ways people plan and think about their reading lives.

We will be sharing lists beginning January 1st 2019! Please join in using the twitter hashtag #mustreadin2019 or by leaving me a comment on this blog (when the post is up) and I will add your list.

Monday October 22nd 2018

Posted on October 22, 2018 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

I haven’t posted for 3 weeks so have many reading photos to share! Narrowed it to 3. Here is a keen little reader who has discovered Robert Munsch books for himself as an independent reader! He couldn’t stop reading all day!

“This book is really long and really hard and I can read it!”

Ah the joy of buddy reading!

#classroombookaday titles have included themes of stories, characters creatively solving problems and interacting with monsters.

Classroom Highlights

Follow along with us through our classroom twitter account @CuriosityRacers

We have been diving into the Story Workshop experience on Tuesday afternoons creating stories with loose parts and natural objects and then drawing, documenting and writing about these stories. Often stories are also shared orally between students. Want to know more about Story Workshop? Look up Opal School in Portland, Oregon.

In the Art and Discovery studio with Maggie, we have begun to explore and create imaginative creatures that might live in the garden.

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:

Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Julie Morstad

Wow. Wow and more wow. Such an incredible story and that cover! A fantastic biography of a wonderfully creative individual and how she perceived the world.

I Lost My Tooth! by Mo Willems

So I read this and liked it. But I knew that kid testing was going to be the true measure. My students ADORED this one. It’s a delightful read aloud experience and students have been continuously picking it up to read on their own. Their only complaint? Where are the rest of the titles? These children are used to a full shelf of Elephant and Piggie and can’t fathom waiting and waiting as the next titles in this series are published!

Up the Mountain Path by Marianne Dubuc

Oh what a delightful little title that teaches the love of nature and the cycles of life. Follow along as old Mrs. Badger takes a weekly journey up to the top of Sugarloaf Peak.The illustrations!

Sterling, Best Dog Ever by Aidan Cassie

Very adorable. Sterling sends himself out to a family’s home as part of a new cutlery shipment and tries to be the best fork ever! Of course, his fork like abilities are limited. But his dog nature is a lot more valued than he ever thought possible.

Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: Stretch It, Shape It written by JoAnne Deak and illustrated by Sarah Ackerley

This is the BEST book for classroom teachers teaching about growth mindset! I am using this title to support our understanding of the brain as part of the Mind Up curriculum.

Merci Suárez Changes Gears by Meg Medina

Merci and her older brother are scholarship students at a private school in Florida. Her busy family life full of hard work, shared family responsibilities and grandparents, aunts and annoying younger cousins feels dramatically different than the lives her classmates seem to lead. Merci struggles to understand the changes in her beloved Lolo as he begins to act more and more strangely and seems to forget things all the time. A powerful middle grade novel about growing up, family and figuring out it all out.

Grump: The (Fairly) True Tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (MG) by Liesl Shurtliff

Tilly by Moniqu Gray Smith

This novel is really about what it says on the cover – hope and resistance. Based on the author’s own life, this is the story of a young Indigenous woman growing up in the 70s and 80s in British Columbia. I learned a lot.

Up next? I am reading The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani

Year End Update: #MustReadin2016

Posted on December 30, 2016 by carriegelson

In January, I had 30 titles on my #MustReadin2016 list and the best of reading intentions. Learning from other years, I also had a healthy realistic attitude. I knew that life and distractions would get in the way of reading some of these books.

Making a list like this is about being enthused about a year of reading ahead. It is also about building community. 28 other bloggers joined me in making #MustReadin2016 lists of their own. Many people remained connected all year, posting (purely optional always) updates. Of course, in reading other lists and other reading philosophies, our own lists grew. Not a bad problem to have!

My plan was to try and read at least 20, maybe even 25 titles on this list and be proud to have read most of a list I remain excited about. And . . . I did it! 25 books read! And more importantly, enjoyed!

I have posted updates all year so will include just a few words about the last books on this list that I finished.

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

Every time I talk about this book I wonder the same thing: How can a story about a robot be so tender? Peter Brown includes frequent illustrations which only helps to engage more readers. I want my own copy to include in my class collection. If I teach a younger grade in the future, I would read this aloud in a heart beat.

The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner

I was thrilled to see this in January’s Scholastic flyer because as soon as I read this book I knew it HAD to go into my collection. A must have in any middle grade classroom.

Red: The true story of Red Riding Hood by Liesl Shurtliff

I love spending time in Liesl Shurtliff‘s fairy tale world! Was excited to finally read Red’s story.

The Odds of Getting Even by Sheila Turnage

I just keep getting more attached to these characters! Tupelo Landing seems like a great place to be – lots of drama and mystery but also good friends, tasty and creative diner food and lots to laugh about.

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

Oh, the drama, the mystery, the magic. This is a book that truly does pull you in which considering the subject matter, becomes quite creepy. I read the final pages in a public place just to feel safer and connected to reality.

As I did last year, I want to highlight some favourite characters I met during this year of reading.

But first to honour some characters I was thrilled to meet again in sequels: Blue and Gansey in The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater, Ryan Dean West in Standoff by Andrew Smith, Mo and Dale from The Odds of Getting Even by Sheila Turnage and Red from Red: The true story of Red Riding Hood by Liesl Shurtliff.

If you haven’t read the following titles, I highly recommend each of them so that you can meet . . .

Perry T. Cook from All Rise for the Honorable Perry T Cook by Leslie Connor. Perry is a noble guy. His quest to learn about himself and to uncover the stories of the people in his “family” is not to be missed.

Timothy from House Arrest by K.A. Holt is one of the most vulnerable, honest and brave characters I have ever read.

Every character in Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys. This book has not let me go.

Want to know more about #MustReadin2016? Read here This post also includes links to all of the bloggers who wrote Must Read in 2016 lists.

Thinking about joining us for 2017? Please do! Make a list and read some, none or all of the titles on it. Reading is amazing but reading plans are pretty wonderful too! Just reading all of the lists is a great reason to pour a big cup of coffee and do some book dreaming!

We will be sharing lists beginning January 5th 2017! Please join in using the twitter hashtag #mustreadin2017 or by leaving me a comment on this blog and I will add your list.

Here is the image URL code for #Mustreadin2017: (image below) https://thereisabookforthat.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/mustreadin2017.jpg

Happy reading! Happy planning. Happy celebrating.

Monday December 19th, 2016

Posted on December 18, 2016 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Each week I share a reading photo of the week. This week I have two! Since I will be without students for a bit, I thought I should share an extra one.

This photo was taken about 20 minutes before school began on the last day before the break. Story time led by a Grade 6 student from next door. This scene brings me a lot of joy.

Could this face be any more serious? Which is wonderfully ironic as he had just told me:

“Oh I am just so happy. I finally learned how to speak Cave Man.”

Seriously, this kid! Made my whole day.

And one more self-portrait as I still haven’t recovered from how talented my students happen to be.

We have continued to explore themes for our #classroombookaday titles. This week we read some of my favourite holiday/winter themed books.

On the blog:

I shared the twenty 2016 titles I think a Grade 4 & 5 library must have here

Celebration: A special morning read aloud It’s taken a term and my new school is feeling like home!

Books I enjoyed:

Penguin Problems by Jory John and Lane Smith

A quietly comical tale of pessimism and getting back on track. Well at least mostly . . .

The Cranky Ballerina by Elise Gravel

We all just need to find our thing. Charming.

The Bossier Baby by Marla Frazee

What happens when baby number two comes on the scene? This. Exactly this.

How This Book was Made written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Adam Rex

Incredibly clever and thoroughly informative. Learn all about book publishing while being completely entertained.

The Artist and Me written by Shane Peacock and illustrated by Sophie Casson

A serious story of how Van Gogh was perceived and treated in a small French town. This book just made me so sad. Would need to be unpacked with kids.

Best in Snow by April Pulley Sayre

I am so happy I read this on a very snowy day – it made it all the more magical. And magical it is!

Cleopatra in Space:Target Practice by Mike Maihack

I know this series is going to be very popular in my classroom when I introduce it in the new year. A graphic tale full of adventure, action and Cleopatra!

Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood by Liesl Shurtliff

Full of delicious magic, sweet honey, the complications of friendship and the stories that weave all around us, this is part adventure, part fairy tale and part testament to the connections we have to each other over a lifetime. A special story, Ms. Shurtliff!

Reading Progress updates:

2016 Chapter Book Challenge: 63/75 complete

Goodreads Challenge: 334/400 books read

Progress on challenge: 51 books behind! Still can’t break that 50 mark!

#MustReadin2016: 23/30 complete

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 45/100 titles

Diverse Books in 2016: 47/50 books read

Up next? Gertie’s Leap to Greatness by Kate Beasley

Twenty 2016 titles your Grade 4 and 5 classroom library must have!

Posted on December 13, 2016 by carriegelson

An early intermediate library is such fun to build. Students are ready for longer chapter books with more complex and compelling story lines but they still adore silly and engaging stories that some early graphics and picture books might offer them. Picture books can be clever and witty and nonfiction can be managed quite independently. So many possibilities!

What twenty titles from 2016 do I think are must have books in a Grade 4 & 5 classroom library?

This book love is inspired by my students’ reading passions and my own reading journey as I source books for them.

Listed alphabetically by author:

Leave Me Alone by Vera Brosgol

Kids this age are beginning to understand that alone time is precious and sometimes hard to achieve. This is wonderfully humorous!

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

How a story about a robot can be so tender, I don’t know. Heavily illustrated which makes it wonderfully rich. Themes of compassion, kindness and connection.

Counting Thyme by Melanie Conklin

Achy and real. This book will squeeze you heart. A beautiful, teary emotional ride. But full of hope, not sad. At least not too much sad. The hope wins.

Giant Squid written by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Eric Rohmann

Such a book. I love the images, the rhythm of the text and the mystery of the still not known that is conveyed.

When Green Becomes Tomatoes Poems for All Seasons by Julie Fogliano and illustrated by Julie Morstad

Just pure poetry perfection.

Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart

Some kind of everything in this book. Fantastic, engaging, emotional, full of heart, full of adventure. This is the read aloud I am starting with in January.

Some Kind of Courage Monday Twenty 2016 titles your Grade 4 and 5 classroom library must have! There's a Book for That

Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke

This book! Ben Hatke is a super hero in my classroom. This will become the “it” book in the room. Prepare to never see it again except when a child holds it wailing, “When does the next one come out?” (Fall of 2017) Relatable and fantastical all at once.

Ada’s Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay written by Susan Hood and illustrated by Sally Wern Comport

There are so many reasons to share this story with children. It is a story of hope, of change, of perseverance, of the power of music and the beauty of community. A story of transformation.

Animals by the Numbers by Steve Jenkins

A book to explore endlessly. Infographics are an incredible source of information. Use this book to teach how to access this information correctly.

Pink is for Blobfish: Discovering the World’s Perfectly Pink Animals written by Jess Keating with illustrations by David DeGrand

This title features a number of “pink” creatures from around the world and shares some of the wild and wacky facts about each one. Every page also includes specific information under these headings: Name, Species name, Size, Diet, Habitat, Predators and threats.

Tooth by Tooth: Comparing Fangs, Tusks, and Chompers written by Sara Levine and illustrated by T.S. Spookytooth

Learn about the different kinds of teeth you have in your mouth: incisors, canines and molars. Find out how other mammals use their teeth and why they are different sizes and shapes. How are human teeth similar and different compared to other mammals? How do the teeth of herbivores, omnivores and carnivores differ?

Ida, Always written by Caron Levis and illustrated by Charles Santoso

Big emotions is a tiny book. Necessary for young readers. All about the challenging process of saying goodbye.

The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner

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 impossible to keep from immediately recommending? I have much gratitude to Kate Messner for writing this book.

Pax by Sara Pennypacker

Readers will fall hard for this story of Peter, Pax and Vola. Beautiful, emotional and raw. This would be a fantastic read aloud or an engaging read alone.

Dog Man by Dav Pilkey

Oh, the kid appeal! I chuckled through this and did a lot of head shaking. There is one scene that involves a pile of dog poop that I know I never would have thought of – thankfully! This book continues to be read and reread in my room. Kids LOVE the step by step drawing pages in the back.

CaveBoy Dave: More Scrawny than Brawny by Aaron Reynolds and Phil McAndrew

Highly appealing. A relatable underdog main character. Lots of poop. Again, the poop! Prehistoric creatures. Action. Adventure. Humour. And . . . a series! What more could kids want?

Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood by Liesl Shurtliff

Because fairy tales can be incredible. Reimagined and retold can go wrong but Shurtliff always gets it right (add Rump and Jack to your collection too!)

The Princess and the Warrior: A Tale of Two Volcanoes by Duncan Tonatiuh

A gorgeous book – Tonatiuh gives us an interpretation of the Mexican legend how the volcanoes Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl came to be.

Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan

Ravi has just moved from India. Joe has been here for what seems forever. They share a few things in common – a relationship with a bully and the daily classroom and lunch room experiences of middle school. Alternately narrated by both characters, this book reminds us that it is challenging for all kids to fit in, to find your way and to be noticed for who you are.

The Thank You Book by Mo Willems

Willems is more than brilliant and doesn’t disappoint in any way in this last Elephant and Piggie title. Students this age have had Willems as a staple of their reading lives. This book is a must have. They will grieve that there will be no more Elephant & Piggie and then get back to celebrating all the ways Elephant & Piggie are part of who they are!

Intermediate libraries? They need a mix of everything!

Love books. Give your students lots of time to read. Let them choose books so they can read widely and obsessively. Read aloud daily. Share often. Gush and be ridiculously demonstrative with your book love!

Build your library.

Invest in your readers.

They matter.

Happy Reading!

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Favourite Fairytale Retellings

Posted on August 3, 2015 by carriegelson

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

This week’s topic? Ten Fairytale Retellings I’ve Read/Want To Read

I decided to focus on books I have read and loved: 5 of my favourite picture books and 5 of my favourite MG/YA novels. I love fairytales and stories with nuances of fairytale elements. But, I am very particular. It is a pleasure to share what I consider to be some of the very best in this list.

Picture Books:

The Cat, the Dog, Little Red, the Exploding Eggs, the Wolf, and Grandma written by Diane Fox and illustrated by Christyan Fox

Hilarious. Kind of like having a backseat driver “helping” tell a story. Annoying for the narrator. Amusing for the readers. Little Red Riding Hood like you have never before heard it.

The Princess and the Pig written by Jonathan Emmett and illustrated by Poly Bernatene

This lovely little read manages to link to many classic fairy tales while telling a great original story and poking fun at just about everything! A pig and a princess switch places and the happy ending is not what you might predict.

Me and You by Anthony Browne

Browne tells simultaneous stories, letting us into the world of Goldilocks while at the same time we revisit the familiar story about the bears. On the left, sepia images of the little girl, out on an errand with Mom and then suddenly, lost. Her story is wordless, told just through the images. On the right, we follow little bear and his Mummy and Daddy as they head out for a walk and then return home to find a stranger in their home. A version of the Goldilocks story that we are very familiar with. This story blurs the absolutes of fairy tale right and wrong and introduces a lovely element of empathy.

The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz and illustrated by Dan Santat

Certainly not the Three Little Pigs story we thought we knew! A fan of pig power? Girl power? Stories where the bullies don’t win? This book delivers! Kiya!

The Very Smart Pea and the Princess-to-Be by Mini Grey

This book is told from the perspective of the pea! A pea, who plays quite an active role in the outcome of this tale . . .

Novels:

Rump: The True Story of Rumplestiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff

Such an interesting twist on the fairytale we know. Loved reading this aloud to my class. Why is this book so special? The children loved the whole idea that this was the “back story” of a well known tale. They felt they were in on some secrets! And what characters! We were rooting for Rump. We loved Red and the Trolls and Nothing, the donkey! We all agreed that the King and the Miller were terrible. The pixies fascinated us. Children begged and pleaded for me to read this book at every possible free minute of out day.

The Prince of the Pond by Donna Jo Napoli

The story of the Frog Prince but told from the perspective of the pond and the frogs. The prince is now a frog and must adjust to pond life and to talking like a frog. It is more difficult than it seems. Certain sounds aren’t possible thus, The Frog Prince is De Fawg Pin. Learn a lot about frogs. And their life cycle. Meet Jade, Pin’s mate. Despise the hag. Root for the froglets! Read this aloud to a group of children and prepare for spit out your milk laughter. Chortles. Giggles. Guffawing. The first in a trilogy.

Breadcrumbs written by Anne Ursu

Inspired by the classic story The Snow Queen with all kinds of modern everything. Yet magical fantasy that feels utterly timeless. Read this to my children who loved the mix between fairy tale and real life and all of the references to stories and books they knew. Beautiful as a read aloud – the words just come off the page, swirl around and we are immersed in the book.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

I became quickly hooked on all things Shannon Hale after reading this book and went on to read the complete Books of Bayern series. Fast paced. Lots of magic. Fantastic characters. The perfect book to get lost in.

Cinder written by Marissa Meyer

Honestly, I was surprised by how addictive this story was for me. I thought it would be a light read but I was drawn in to the drama and intrigue despite suspecting some of the secrets unveiled late in the novel quite early on. Futuristic, fantasy/sci-fi with fairy tale elements and high drama.

What are your favourite fairytale retellings?

Must Read in 2015: Summer Update

Posted on July 1, 2015 by carriegelson

Summer reading is here! How have you been doing on your #MustReadin2015 list? Progress? Ready to dive back in this summer? it’s time to share!

My #MustReadin2015 list has 24 titles on it and I have completed twelve. Exactly half and a summer of reading ahead! Numerous titles on my list are currently packed with me on a trip where I plan to read a lot! So I am hoping to complete two or three more titles from my list this week.

Sometimes I look at this list and worry that I won’t get to these titles but honestly, every time I complete a novel from this list I revisit my original reasons for including it back in December and am so glad these titles on my TBR list have that special Must Read status!

The novels I have read since our spring update:

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

There is reason for all of the raving about this YA title. The characters are so very unique – different, mysterious but so very appealing. The story is full of intrigue, suspense, mystery and magic. It is haunting and sad yet full of hope and transformation. It is one of those books that must be experienced and the less you read about it in advance, the better because each surprise, each “around the corner” is so delicious.

Jack by Liesl Shurtliff

We finished this book on the very last day of school. The best response, “This book was so perfect because it had more than one happy ending!” We loved how Jack tied to Rump in such unexpected ways. Another fantastic read aloud by Shurtliff! Can’t wait for Red!

The Meaning of Maggie by Megan Jean Sovern

Whoa Maggie. What a girl you are. Voice bellows from the pages. What a family. So much that is challenging. Not much that is perfect. So very endearing. A fantastic book about family.

Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly

Early on I wasn’t so sure about this novel. There was nasty middle grade interactions that made me absolutely cringe. Cruelty, insensitivity, racism. Miserable stuff. But midway through, I began to love the friendship developing between Apple and Evan. Evan is a kid I wish existed in every school – so many young people need him to help navigate the social world that can be so cruel. He approaches it with wise perspective and personal strength. He’s just plain smart and really right on so many levels. I look forward to more books from this debut author.

The Shadowhand Convenant by Brian Farrey

I read this title aloud to my children. We read the first in the trilogy about a year ago and were completely captured by these unique characters in such a fresh fantasy story. This story continued to keep us guessing right until the last pages.

If you have been participating in #MustReadin2015 and written an update post, please share using the #MustReadin2015 hashtag!

Want to know more about #MustReadin2015? Read here This post also includes links to all of the bloggers who wrote Must Read in 2015 lists.

And now for a confession and an apology.

Confession: I have messed up a little with these update dates. Originally, I had planned 3 updates and somehow, I looked at 2014’s schedule and got back to four updates. Call it over eager. Mostly, it is about busy and not checking carefully and actually creating more posts not less! So I apologize if you weren’t planning to update until September. I will still host an update as originally planned on September 3rd. As always, update posts are purely optional – it is fun to see how people are doing with their lists and what books they are loving. Join in if you would like 🙂

Apology: I can’t create a link up for leaving post links below as I am away and staying at a hotel with terrible internet access that keeps kicking me off. Thankfully I had prewritten most of this post earlier! Please leave links below in the comment section

Happy Reading to everyone! Crossing titles off a list or making choices as the mood hits – it’s all reading! Enjoy!

Monday June 29th, 2015

Posted on June 28, 2015 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

I have been sharing a reading photo of the week each week. This photo is special to me because it is my students at 2:30 p.m. on the last day of school – doing what they do best – reading! (and eating twizzlers, a special treat from our Teacher Librarian, Ms. S)

Here are our favourite picture books (fiction edition) read aloud in the 2014/2015 school year – all of these made it into the favourite read aloud bin over the year.

I read a lot of books that I really wanted to share with this group of students this week so not much new reading.

But some lovely reads were new to me:

Float by Daniel Miyares

Wordless and wonderful. Themes of discovery, persistence, problem solving and creative thinking. And simply beautiful.

Worst in Show written by William Bee and illustrated by Kate Hindley

Super silly. I have a thing for monsters so I found this book quite amusing.

Soon written by Timothy Knapman and illustrated by Patrick Benson

Perfect for a story time with younger students. We love elephants in my classroom so this book is special.

Not my Girl written by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton and illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard

This was the fourth picture book dealing with residential school experiences that I read with my students. I am so grateful that books like this exist to enable us to talk about this time in history and its impact on Aboriginal children and families with school age children. We did incredibly rich writing with this book.

Jack by Liesl Shurtliff

Updates on my 2015 Reading Goals:

2015 Chapter Book Challenge: 30/80 complete

Goodreads Challenge: 224/415 books read

#MustReadin2015: 12/24 complete

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 47/100 titles

Diverse Books in 2015: 23/50 books read

Up next? I am still reading Call Me By My Name by John Ed Bradley – and have this stack coming along with me for my week away – I may not get to all of them but hoping for at least 6 novels read!

Celebration: All things literacy

Posted on May 3, 2014 by carriegelson

I love ending each week thinking about all that I have to celebrate. Join Ruth Ayres who shares a Celebration Link up on her blog each week. Thank you to Ruth for the inspiration.

What am I celebrating this week? All things literacy. Some conversations. Some great books. Celebrations of writing. Thinking. Sharing. Listening. Creating.

Celebrating . . .

1. A Skype visit with Liesl Shurtliff – author of Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin (one of the best read alouds out there!)

This was an absolute highlight of our week! I shared our experience on our classroom blog here (including how we prepared). This was our first author Skype so it was especially exciting! Liesl was so charming and the kids cannot stop talking about the day!

Students shared with Liesl that they had just had a book of stories published as well and that we had even had a publishing party. (Thanks Writer’s Exchange!) Such fun to find out that Liesl had brownies at her publishing party too! All about the treats!

Here is one of the many pixies that we shared with Liesl during our Skype. All of them can be seen at the link I shared above.

2. Friday afternoon in my class was hot. The air circulation is terrible. And yet, my classroom looked like this:

Recipe for such engagement? I asked the students to think about what their dream house would look like if they could design it, have it built (or build it themselves) and then live in it? We split into two groups and spent 15 minutes sharing our ideas. Ms. Wilks, our Project Teacher and I recorded all that was said on chart paper. Kids got totally excited just listening to what other people suggested. A few examples:

Gummy worm walls that grow new candy when you pull it off
Trampoline floors
An aquarium full of dolphins to swim with
Water slides leading to an outdoor pool
Chalkboard walls to draw on

I quickly showed them the end pages in Chris Van Dusen‘s If I Built a House as some added inspiration. (Next week we will do a related project in Art) We then passed out writing books and told everyone to go draw, sketch, label and write. Some kids were so into it, they continued working through their Choices time.

In the middle of the brainstorming, one student who had been listening from his desk sailed a paper airplane over to us. Written on the back? Be Smart! He thought we were being absolutely ridiculous in our dreaming, “No house could have all of that!” I loved his message system! Not every activity is going to speak to everyone!

It was so interesting to examine all of the different ideas and how they were represented.

This little house designer showed me that she would have a book gnome (bottom right corner) that would get you any book you wanted for your book shelf. 🙂 A little reader with big book dreams like mine!

3. Last week we celebrated publishing a class book of stories.

To thank the amazing Writers’ Exchange for working with my class, I have been working on a blog post with the children’s words and photographs. We wanted it to be a sent along to surprise all of the staff and mentors who worked with us. It’s supposed to be a surprise but these photos are just too cute. So I’ve had to share one . . . or two . . . or . . . four. . . via twitter. It has been joyous both taking and sharing these photos (text comes from individual writing from each child). I’m hoping to have the post finished in the next few days.