It’s Monday! What are you reading?
I have been sharing a reading photo of the week each week. I love the energy of the interactions and the reading that this photo highlights – another moment from buddy reading with the Ks. Books and children, they go together . . . 🙂
And because I just can’t resist: Some Richard Scary love.
If you didn’t get to read about our amazing visit with author/illustrator Calef Brown, read here.
His fantastic new book of poetry is a must read, must share, must own: Hypnotize a Tiger: Fantastic Poems about just about Everything The pages are full of fascinating word play and delightful illustrations. Hard to pick a favourite here. Miriam, who works with me loves Lazy Head and the children are particularly fond of Pigeon Frogs. Today, I am very charmed by Interview with a Termite, but by tomorrow I might have a new favourite!
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.
Some of my favourite titles from the week:
Winnie: The True Story of the Bear that Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh written by Sally M. Walker and illustrated by Jonathan D. Voss
My students wrote reviews of this book that I will be posting soon. We loved the story and the history. What a relationship between Winnie and Harry Colebourn! It is easily apparent why Winnie made her way into the stories of A.A. Milne for his son Christopher Robin. The real Winnie was a sweet little bear.
Unnatural Selections by Wallace Edwards
This book squeaks and speaks and hollers: Art project! Ahem . . . art inspiration! What fun!
The Stick by Clay Rice
These woodcut images are incredible. I like the story’s theme of imagination but this is not a book I would rave about or necessarily choose for my classroom collection. Potential but just not quite there . . . Yet the images stay with me.
Vampirina Ballerina by Anne Marie Pace and illustrated by Leuyen Pham
How I love the illustrations by Leuyen Pham! This is a fun little story perfectly suited to little dancers. Can Vampirina stay focussed on her dancing and resist turning into a bat?
Josephine written by Patricia Hruby Powell and illustrated by Christian RobinsonÂ
Such a detailed, poetic biography of Josephine Baker. The colours, the illustration, the use of language – all things make for an incredible middle grade picture book biography.
Bone Gap by Laura RubyÂ
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. So I will stop here. Except to nudge you . . . go, read this book.
Up next? I am devouring The Truth about Twinkie Pie by Kat Yeh (and not because it makes one hungry). My class just finished Each Little Bird that Sings by Deborah Wiles (which I would recommend over and over and over as a beautiful read and even better read aloud) so we are up for a new read. Happy to announce that it will be Jack by Liesl Shurliff. We read Rump last year and kids are over the moon that we get to share another book by Liesl together!
Updates on my 2015 Reading Goals:
2015 Chapter Book Challenge: 20/80 complete
Goodreads Challenge: 165/415 books read
#MustReadin2015: 9/24 complete
Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 36/100 titles
Diverse Books in 2015: 18/50 books read
There's a Book for That 