Tom Angleberger | There's a Book for That

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Each week I share a reading photo of the week. During the summer, these photos will be about getting my classroom library up and running for a room full of readers in September.

Still adding to the shelves. More titles have since been labelled and are out on the shelves. I will be bringing in some more titles once I have a better sense of who my students are as readers. And I meet them (finally) this week!

I was away last week on Vancouver Island and did lots of great reading and lots of fantastic walks and hikes with my family. A few pictures below.

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:

We updated our #MustReadin2016 lists. Here is mine

For #nfpb2016: First Read Alouds in a Grade 4 & 5 classroom

Books I enjoyed:

Bring Me a Rock by Daniel Miyares

I so love Miyares’ illustrations. The expressions on the faces of these insects! Rich material here to talk about power, community and contributions.

Wolf Camp by Andrea Zuill

One little dog with wolfish aspirations heads to camp to be transformed.

Monsters Go Night-Night by Aaron Zenz

Oh this is the perfect gift for little ones – bed time is a big event! It is super cute. I read this in the bookstore and there was a toddler there with his grandmother. I kind of wanted to ask if I could read it aloud to him. I think it would have been a big hit.

Inspector Flytrap #1 by Tom Angleberger and Cece Bell

Seriously silly and spirited. Part of a new series about A Venus flytrap whois a detective. He solves BIG DEAL mysteries with the help of Nina the Goat, his assistant. An illustrated chapter book.

Stinky Cecil in Operation Pond Rescue by Paige Braddock

Cecil is a toad who utilizes his stink power when necessary. Can he and his friends save their pond from development? I bought this one for my new class.

The Land of Forgotten Girls by Erin Entrada Kelly

Soledad lives with her little sister Ming and their nasty step-mother in a run down apartment in small town Louisiana. Life is nothing like it was in the Philippines. The girls miss their father who went back to the Philippines and has never returned. They mourn their mother and sister who have passed away. They manage their grief over what they have lost and their anger over their present circumstances in a variety of ways. Both rely heavily on imagination and pieces of the stories that their mother once gave them. A story of family and new lives. A fantastic main character.

Counting Thyme by Melanie Conklin

Reading a book like this reminds me that books like this are my kind of books. Achy and real. Books that squeeze my heart. Characters I want to know. An emotional ride. A beautiful, teary emotional ride. But full of hope, not sad. At least not too much sad. The hope wins.

How to Speak Dolphin by Ginny Rorby

Whoa this book. Lily has lost her mother. She lives with her step father and her little brother Adam. Adam has autism and while his father can’t face the reality of Adam’s needs and struggles, Lily is fully entrenched in the day-to-day care of Adam. This story tackles many themes – family, friendships, animal rights and boundaries. An excellent middle grade novel.

Reading Progress updates:

2016 Chapter Book Challenge: 37/75 complete

Goodreads Challenge: 241/400 books read

#MustReadin2016: 20/30 complete

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 32/100 titles

Diverse Books in 2016: 30/50 books read

Up next? I am reading The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Each week I share a reading photo of the week. During the summer, these photos will be about getting my classroom library up and running for a room full of readers in September. Moving spaces and grade levels and sourcing bookshelves has been a lot of work!

So basically going from this (the classroom collection of books sat in these boxes until the floors were done and I could completely unpack).

To the beginning of unpacking and organizing . . .

One shelf all ready for books – this will be where nonfiction titles end up.

On the Blog:

For Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Titles I would buy right this second

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Cloth Lullaby

Books I enjoyed:

Return by Aaron Becker

This trilogy is very special. I love each book for particular reasons. This title must be experienced so that you can see how it continues the stories started in the first two titles. I think this cover image is my favourite of the three.

Explorers of the Wild by Cale Atkinson

This has a Blueberries for Sal vibe to it. Since that was my favourite book from my childhood, I will say I loved many elements in this title!

The Not So Quiet Library by Zachariah Ohora

Non-book-appreciating monsters do not make for a peaceful reading environment. Let’s just say that all works out in the end and that there is a lot of book love in this book!

Tidy by Emily Gravett

Now, I must admit, I do appreciated tidy and neat environments. But, I can also be productive with mess all around me. This title shows us what happens when we want the wrong locations to be too neat and clean.

Madeline Finn and the Library Dog by Lisa Papp

When a little one hates reading because reading does not come easily . . . When there is an opportunity to read aloud to a dog . . . Lots can shift with the right opportunities.

It Came in the Mail by Ben Clanton

This book is absolutely delightful. Since actual letters and personal mail is quite the novelty in this day and age, surprises arriving by post really are special. Maybe too much so . . .

The Toad by Elise Gravel

The seventh in the Disgusting Critters collection – I was thrilled to find this at the bookstore the other day!

Marty McGuire Has Too Many Pets! by Kate Messner

I think I might like this Marty McGuire title best of all. Marty is so earnest and often has the worst luck but I sure appreciate her spirit. A wonderful series of early middle grade novels.

Cloth Lullaby: The Woven Life of Louise Bourgeois written by Amy Novesky and illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault

I featured this title for nonfiction Wednesday – see the link above. Just stunning.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

Okay, yes, it’s true. I had never read this book. I own two copies. My children have read this book. But me, nope! And then I picked it up and didn’t put it down. I have a class of grade 4/5s this fall and want to make sure I am up to date on many middle grade titles. This is middle grade perfection.

As Brave as You by Jason Reynolds

Jason Reynolds writes incredible characters. Unforgettable believable characters. In this middle grade title, he delivers characters and relationships in a rich, quietly humorous story full of questions, wisdom and love.