Monday January 27th, 2014

Posted on January 26, 2014 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 novels. Follow the links to read about all of the amazing books the #IMWAYR community has read. One of the very best ways to discover what to read next!

My favourite picture books (both fiction and nonfiction) reads of the week:

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin written by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Again, Sweet just slays me. Everything she does is vivid colours and spectacular details. This fascinating biography of artist Horace Pippin is an inspirational tale of an artist with everything stacked against him who makes art despite it all. Loved the back story of how Bryant and Sweet collaborated on the research to create this book.

The Invisible Boy written by Trudy Ludwig and illustrated by Patrice Barton

This is such an important book with themes of exclusion, kindness and friendship. I shared what this book was like as a read aloud experience in my classroom in this post.

Dream Boats written by Dan Bar-el and illustrated by Kirsti Anne Wakelin

Lyrical text. Illustrations full of folklore, magic and dreams. Fall asleep and ride through dreams and history on a dream boat. A title that must be read, reread, examined and explored. It sails you through many legends and cultures around the world.

Lost Cat by C. Roger Mader

Come and see the world from the perspective of a little lost cat, left behind when her owner moved. I shared my students’ reviews here.

The Very Brave Bear by Nick Bland

Bear and Buffalo square off in a battle of bravery. I am completely charmed by the silly antics revealed in the illustrations. Not sure how much of the text I even paid attention to – the pictures are hilarious!

Noisy Poems for a Busy Day written by Robert Heidbreder and illustrated by Lori Joy Smith

Busy, bustling poems perfect for the preschool set. Full of sounds, fun to say and lots of silly . . .

Twisty-Twiggle.

Jump-up jiggle.

Undies backward!

Wiggle-giggle.

Hee! Hee!

Born to Be Giants: How Baby Dinosaurs Grew to Rule the World by Lita Judge

I learned an incredible amount about dinosaurs in this nonfiction title and thoroughly enjoyed all of the details and comparisons to modern day creatures. Amazing illustrations.

I read some other fabulous nonfiction picture books which I shared in my Nonfiction Wednesday Post: Animal Stories

I also read:

Forgive me, Leonard Peacock written by Matthew Quick

A perfect book to sit down with when you don’t have to get up for hours. I found myself pulled quickly into the world of Leonard Peacock and not wanting to put the book down and abandon him for even a moment. Raw. Vulnerable. Hurting. What a character. This is the story of a teenage boy who begins his last day on Earth because by day’s end, he’s planning to be dead. How did he get to this place? He will tell you, unravelling details of his history and his pain. This was one of my #MustReadin2014 titles – the second Matthew Quick title I have read this month. Definitely YA.

Next up? I am reading The Living by Matt de la Pena and then plan to read Marie Lu‘s The Champion to finish the trilogy.

Reading Goal updates:

2014 Chapter Book Challenge: 6/100 novels complete

Goodeads Challenge: 61/650 books read

#MustReadin2014: 4/30 complete

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 24/65 complete

Happy Reading to all!

Monday December 23rd, 2013

Posted on December 22, 2013 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

A favourite comment I received last week was from Elisabeth Ellington who after reading that I had had a week full of 2/5 and 3/5 books, wrote:

Enjoy your week! Hope it’s filled with 5/5 books!

Such a lovely wish and I am happy to report that it certainly was a week full of wonderful books! And so, please pardon the large number I will be sharing here – I narrowed it to my ten favourite picture books of the week!

I had a lot of book celebration this week. Earlier in the week I met my Chapter Book Challenge goal and finished my 95th novel of the year! (Now I am going to try to reach 100 by the 31st! Thankful for the #bookaday challenge!) And this morning I completed my Goodreads goal of 625 books read this year! Now I have just one more reading challenge – to read the last 2 titles on my list of My Must Read Novels of 2013. These two titles are on my shelf as I type ready to be devoured by December 31st! Much to celebrate 🙂

I feel grateful for the wonderful #IMWAYR community that makes celebrating reading such a priority. Such a honour to be part of this passionate community of readers.

So . . . back to the books! My top ten picture books of the week:

These first 6 titles are all about finding joy, honouring acceptance and celebrating calm. It is an understatement when I say the last few weeks in my classroom have been challenging. These books all found me at just the right time.

Red Sled by Lita Judge

A little red sled brings an evening of adventure for some adorable forest creatures. Basically wordless except for the delicious sound effects

Scrinch scrunch scrinch scrunch scrinch scrunch

Gadung Gadung Gadung Gadung

Whoa!

My children and I Ioved the illustration of the porcupine clutching on to the antlers. Delightful!

Homer by Elisha Cooper

I don’t have a dog. But this book is not just a dog lover’s book. It is also a book about family. About spending happy time. About waiting for everyone to return and about knowing someone is waiting. Love, love, love Cooper’s soothing illustrations.

A Funny Little Bird by Jennifer Yerkes

A funny little bird who learns to appreciate his “invisibility” as an asset rather than a deficit. Unique. Definite book I want to share with a group of children to see what is discussed.

Augustus and his Smile by Catherine Rayner

Stunning bold black lines on the gorgeous Augustus. This tiger discovers in his smile, the simple hidden happiness we carry with us always as long as we let it in. An important message about how we all navigate the world.

All in a Day written by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Nikki McClure

Truly a book that highlights the importance of being mindful – of understanding that each day is a gift of multiple small and meaningful moments. Would be wonderful to share with All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon and Marla Frazee.

Whimsy’s Heavy Things by Julie Kraulis

A quirky little title I have never heard of – a true find at my public library. Some fairly hefty themes here of facing what weighs us down, of rethinking obstacles and finding ways to cope with what is heavy in our lives. Much to ponder. I am still thinking about how I might share this with a class.

Other titles I loved:

Toot & Puddle – Let it Snow by Holly Hobbie

I am always a sucker for Toot and Puddle. The comforts and coziness of home are always depicted in the most soothing of ways by Hobbie. Thinking about Christmas gifts. Quiet time. A beautiful winter ski through freshly fallen snow. A beautiful holiday book!

Spuds written by Karen Hesse and illustrated by Wendy Watson

A serious title in many ways. A family who has little has each other and big plans. Maybelle leads her two younger siblings into the night and into Kenney’s potato field. The children dig up potatoes and drag them home. When they arrive and stack their loot on the kitchen floor, they have quite a surprise.

Sophie’s Fish written by A.E. Cannon and illustrated by Lee White

This is a hilarious story that grows more and more funny and finishes with a bang. Jake has huge worries about looking after Sophie’s fish Yo-Yo. Why, oh why, did he agree to take care of him in the first place? Do fish need stories read aloud? Do you need to play games with them? What if they cry? My, oh, my the things to wonder about. The last page of this book makes it absolutely awesome! Such fun.

The Long, Long Line by Tomoko Ohmura

What a wonderful book for the younger set – a great way to learn animal names. Amusing. Interesting. Lots to look at on every page. What is this line up for? An amusement ride you certainly were not expecting! And one younger readers will want to visit again and again!

Novels I finished:

The Fire Chronicle by John Stephens

I finished this sequel to The Emerald Atlas with my children as a read aloud. Hugely suspenseful. Full of adventure, mystery, intense drama and intrigue. The perfect family read aloud. We are eagerly anticipating the third book in this trilogy which now finally has a release date!

Crossed by Ally Condie

I don’t often get to read a trilogy one title after another but that is exactly what I am doing with this set of YA dystopian titles by Ally Condie. And it’s kind of great! Matched hooked me with the characters and philosophical questions. Crossed is full of much more adventure, drama and survival – a perfect set up for the third novel which I am just about to start.

What’s next? My children and I are reading Rump by Liesl Shurtliff I have launched into the final book in the Matched trilogy, Reached by Ally Condie. I then plan to read the last two titles on my Must Read for 2013 list: The Hero’s Guide to Saving the Kingdom by Christopher Healy and The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor.

Happy reading and Happy holidays to all!

Some new wordless favourites

Posted on July 27, 2013 by carriegelson

I am always pleased when I uncover new wordless (or nearly wordless) titles to share with my students. These books are ideal for allowing us to sit back and let our imagination follow the author/illustrator to wonderful places. I use wordless books to build storytelling skills, enhance visual literacy, practice inferring and asking questions and for amazing oral language opportunities.

This post elaborates on why I think wordless books are so important in the classroom and how I use them.

Here are a handful of words about some new wordless favourites:

The Night Riders by Matt Furie

An adventure with real and fantastical nocturnal creatures. Oh what can happen by the light of the moon!

Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle

Making a friend, being both graceful and wonderfully clumsy. Perfectly not perfect.

Red Hat by Lita Judge What can we get up to with a knitted red hat? Playful. Full of joy.

Thunderstorm by Arthur Geisert Chase a storm through farm country and notice every little detail. Brilliant.

Kitty and Dino and Sara Richard What happens when the new pet is a dinosaur who has come to share the house with Kitty (who is really having none of it)? Wild antics.

Bear Despair by Gaetan Doremus You upset me? I eat you! My students responded best: “This bear is ruled by his amygdala!”

Unspoken by Henry Cole Haunting. Multi-layered. A springboard to discussions about slavery and the Underground Railroad.

Monday April 15th, 2013

Posted on April 15, 2013 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Join Jen and Kellee’s meme and share what you are reading from picture books to young adult novels. The #IMWAYR community consistently has wonderful suggestions if you are looking for new book ideas! This week, I read everything from board books to adult novels.

A little “bookish” news:

I was thrilled to have a post about my student book club on the Nerdy Book Club blog this week. Click here if you would like to read it. I appreciated all of the comments and enthusiasm for the joys of sharing the love of reading with groups of students.

I also appreciated being mentioned in Assistant Superintendent Shelley Burgess’ (@burgess_shelley) blog post: Becoming Leaders of Readers Thank you Shelley for including so many links back to my blog (posts that detail favourite books)! I always love talking and recommending books.

My reading this week . . .

I am currently collecting board books to set out when the Ks come up for buddy reading. Board books I read this week and added to our bin:

Hooray for Fish! by Lucy Cousins Bright, colourful engaging! Would love to use this as an inspiration for buddy art making . . .

Hello, Doctor written by Michael Coffier and illustrated by Matthieu Maudet Seriously clever. If a board book can make you laugh in just a few pages, you know it is good.

I’m the Biggest thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry Loved watching my Grade 2/3s try this out on their little K buddies. They were so excited to see if it had registered that the giant squid continued his boasting from inside the whale. Adorable!

I read a number of fantastic picture books this week. Too many to narrow down so my reviews are brief!

The Other Side written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by E.B. Lewis This author/illustrator combination create absolute magic. So much in one little picture book with huge implications for discussion. A fence that represents the division of race becomes just a fence at the end of the story when a whole row of girls perches atop it. I want my own copy of this book.

Me Want Pet written by Tammi Sauer illustrated by Bob Shea Definitely cute but when kid tested, it gets a better response. My own children laughed and laughed. Obviously the urging a parent for a pet is an age old issue 🙂

Chloe, instead by Micah Player An amazing book to share with a child dealing with conflicting emotions about a new sibling. Simple, bright and effective.

The Museum written by Susan Verde and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds As always Peter H. Reynolds makes movement and magic on the page. Such a wonderful celebration of art. I am not a total fan of rhyming text but the playful, joyous images allowed me to get over being slightly irked . . .

Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle by Chris Raschka I know not everyone loves Raschka but I really do. Few words are used and they are barely needed – the illustrations relay all of the emotions, pride and accomplishment in the process of learning to ride a bike.

The Red Hat by Lita Judge Basically wordless but tells such a story. Wow. Playful and smile provoking.

Oy Feh So? written by Cary Fagan illustrated by Gary Clement Sometimes a picture book is great because kids will like it but adults will love it and will therefore read it with so much expression and joy that it is enjoyed all the more by the listeners. Thus, it becomes elevated to “better” after the repeated, happy readings. Read this book. You will see what I mean.

A Leaf Can Be . . . by Laura Purdie Salas and illustrated by Violeta Dabija Wow. Stunning imagery. Turns the imagination up to high.

All of these wonderful picture books and . . . I still had some time to read and finish some amazing novels.

One Crazy Summer written by Rita Williams-Garcia 1968. California. The Black Panthers. Civil Rights. Three little girls who need to know about their mother. I loved the relationship between the sisters and everything about Delphine. An important read. I can’t wait to share with kids. Thinking a future book club book . . .

The Runaway King written by Jennifer A. Nielsen Oh, did I set the bar high with my children! We finished this Saturday and on Tuesday we have tickets to see Jennifer Nielsen in person! This is a read aloud/book experience that I doubt I will be able to match. When reading this aloud with my children I must admit there were times I wanted to continue reading after I sent them to bed. Had to use a lot of self-restraint not to do so! This book continued the high drama, adventure and intrigue that we loved in The False Prince. We are big Jaron fans. My son finds his spunk hilarious and we are continually impressed by his loyalty, quick thinking and brilliant plans. We loved many other characters too – Imogen of course and also Fink. We are now very anxiously awaiting the third book in this trilogy.

Little Bee written by Chris Cleave I don’t often read adult novels. Not sure if it is that they sometimes just feel too heavy . . . I had heard a lot about this title though and was glad to read it. The highlight of the book is the narration (in her sections) by Little Bee herself. Strength. Survival. Resilience. She is immersed in all of it. Hard to discuss any aspects of this novel without giving away important plot points. I did love the message that collecting and telling stories can save us. I believe this fully.

Next up? I’m reading my children Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan which is the book I am doing with my student book club. Love this title! Tonight I will start Requiem by Lauren Oliver. I feel in the mood for some dramatic fantasy. I’m sure this will deliver.

What are you reading?