Monday January 2nd, 2017

Posted on January 2, 2017 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Each week I share a reading photo of the week. Here are some displays of previous Caldecott award winners set up to greet my students when they return from their break. We launch our Mock Caldecott unit on Tuesday! I am so excited!

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.

On the blog:

Nonfiction favourites from 2016: 10 titles I loved

Year End Update for #Mustreadin2016

Want to join us in 2017? Check back on Thursday (the 5th) to connect to everyone making a #MustReadin2017 list

Celebration: Writing I celebrated a year of words and highlighted posts that told the story of my year.

Books I enjoyed:

We Sang You Home written by Richard Van Camp and illustrated by Julie Flett

This title is absolutely beautiful – lyrical and celebratory, it speaks to the joy and wonder of welcoming a new one into our lives. Of course, a perfect gift for new families.

This is My Book! by Mark Pett

Just saying, I think Pett might have had a little help here. See for yourself! Would be an engaging read aloud!

Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea: Marie Tharp Maps the Ocean Floor written by Robert Burleigh and illustrated by Raúl Colón

Wow. I love when nonfiction is the perfect blend of incredible story and breathtaking pictures – increases the wonder factor exponentially! This biography of Marie Tharp is one I would like to own.

Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton by Don Tate

Truly a remarkable story. George Moses Horton loved words so much he was able to teach himself to read as a child when slaves were never permitted to learn to read and write. As a young man, George wrote such beautiful poems that he was able to earn enough money to temporarily “buy” permission from his owner to live in town and just write. This of course required that he paid for this “temporary” freedom. His master would not agree to allow George to completely buy his freedom though and it wasn’t until after the Civil War that he was finally free. Just an incredible read.

The Marvelous Thing That Came from a Spring: The Accidental Invention of the Toy That Swept the Nation by Gilbert Ford

This title tells the story of the invention of the slinky but also celebrates an entire journey of invention and its impact on a family. Really interesting!

Camp Midnight by Steven T. Seagle and Jason Adam Katzenstein

So what if you happen to board the wrong bus to camp and ended up at a camp where campers got to be their true selves at midnight but you had no true self to reveal because you were really human, not hiding in a human form? Yes, that is the storyline of this creepy little graphic novel that I am sure kids will just eat up.

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

I must admit I had no idea how this story was supposed to work and wasn’t sure what exactly was going on or how I felt about some of it and then, wow, how this all comes together . . . Kind of brilliant.

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

I don’t often read more than a few books in a series because I find typically, the story starts to disintegrate and each book can’t hold its own and at the same time, tie everything together. Not so here. I remained completely engaged right to the end of this fourth book in The Raven Cycle.

The Nest by Kenneth Oppel with illustrations by Jon Klassen

Although this book is absolutely frightening, it is also absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking. Highly, highly recommended.

Garvey’s Choice by Nikki Grimes

A novel in verse not to be missed. Celebrate as Garvey is able to find himself and move beyond the self-doubt, the teasing and bullying and the pressure of his father’s expectations.

Reading Progress updates: I didn’t meet all of my goals for 2016 (but came very close) and I am letting that go . . . Moving on to 2017!

2017 Chapter Book Challenge: 2/75 complete

Goodreads Challenge: 2/365 books read

Progress on challenge: For today, ahead of the game!

#MustReadin2017: 1/30 complete

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 0/50 titles

Diverse Books in 2016: 1/50 books read

Monday June 27th, 2016

Posted on June 26, 2016 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Each week I share a reading photo of the week. This will be one of my last ones from my current school so I will share two!

Here are a bunch of writers writing thank you cards to donors who donated books to our school library. Writing about the books prompted much rereading.

I love this buddy reading photo with the little listener camped out in the box.

For our #classroombookaday, I have 3 weeks to share.

These titles “a boy and his bunny” etc. inspired many searches to figure out which book came first.

And some art pieces!

Life has been busy, busy, busy. Applying and interviewing for jobs. Accepting a new job. Packing up. Writing reports. My husband down for the count with a bad bout of bronchitis. Not much impacts my reading life but for the last few weeks, it was put on hold. Yet, I have a few titles to share.

On the Blog:

Celebration: The new – I did get a job!

Celebration: Going with it Packing, boxes and perspective

Books I enjoyed:

Bear and Bunny written by Daniel Pinkwater and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand

I recommend this title just for the napping illustrations. Adorable.

There is a Tribe of Kids by Lane Smith

Dreamy. The illustrations here . . . it went instantly on to my Mock Caldecott 2017 list.

Fearless Flyer: Ruth Law and her Flying Machine by Heather Lang and illustrated by Raúl Colón

Stunning illustrations and such a story of Ruth Law and her dream to break flight records. She had vision, perseverance and talent. An amazing biography to share.

Oh, Brother!

A fantastic story to talk about blended families. A great find at my library.

Summerlost by Ally Condie

Beautiful on so many levels. A story of grief, friendship and a transformative summer.

Reading Progress updates:

2016 Chapter Book Challenge: 22/75 complete

Goodreads Challenge: 174/400 books read

#MustReadin2016: 19/30 complete

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 26/100 titles

Diverse Books in 2016: 20/50 books read

Up next? I am reading Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo

Monday February 15th, 2015

Posted on February 14, 2016 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Each week I share a reading photo of the week. That has grown to a few reading photos from the week . . .

We have continued to enjoy looking at nonfiction titles during our book sharing circles.

I love the energy in each of these circles and how it spreads out around the room.

This was taken during a read aloud of Orion and the Dark shared by a guest reader. The kids couldn’t get close enough!

On the blog:

My second Slice of Life: Bad Irony (I will admit that I find this writing kind of terrifying)

For Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: The nonfiction effect Here, I talk about beginning to introduce more nonfiction titles to my current class.

My weekly Celebration post: Afternoons: the good, the not so great and the green

Books I enjoyed:

Orion and the Dark by Emma Yarlett

This book is all kinds of gorgeous. The story is delightful – forming a friendship with the very thing that scares you most and learning a new way to see the world in the process. But the illustrations and artistic choices, simply fabulous.

Ballet Cat: Dance! Dance! Underpants! by Bob Shea

Giggle. Giggle. Giggle. Can’t wait to read this aloud to a whole class. I started with one little guy not yet picked up in the office one afternoon and he thought it was pretty amusing. Well, very amusing. I asked him if he thought my class would listen without laughing. “No way, not possible,” he told me.

Strictly No Elephants written by Lisa Mantchev and illustrated by Taeeun Yoo

Kind of adorable. And a beautiful message of inclusivity.

Waiting by Kevin Henkes

Quiet. Gentle. Full. Loved this title. Think I will love it more and more as I read it and share it.

Welcome, Precious written by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Bryan Collier

An ideal new baby celebration book. Gift it to new parents – it celebrates all of the amazing of a baby joining the family.

Two White Rabbits by Jairo Buitrago and Rafael Yockteng

This title is weighty in its simple, missing pieces kind of narration. Nothing is specifically clear but this is what I enjoyed about this title. Rich in emotion, its multitude of stories and our human need to find home and safe.

Thank You and Goodnight by Patrick McDonnell

Perhaps the perfect bedtime book. I love the pure exhaustion that eventually triumphs.

Reading Progress updates:

2016 Chapter Book Challenge: 6/75 complete

Goodreads Challenge: 45/400 books read

#MustReadin2016: 5/30 complete

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 11/100 titles

Diverse Books in 2015: 8/50 books read

I continue reading (almost done) The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten and have just started All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely as a read aloud with my family.