It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

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I am trying to read everything I can by Mac Barnett and I somehow missed President Taft is Stuck in the Bath earlier this year when it was released.    It was a really fun book and I loved the endnotes about the real story of President Taft.  And if you are not a huge Mac Barnett fan yet, you MUST watch this Ted Talk that he did about the power of story. Thanks to @PaulWHankins for sharing this talk!

I discovered Winter is Coming by Tony Johnston during my last Cover to Cover visit.  This will be a great book to use during Writing Workshop-I love all of the amazing language and the idea of capturing things in a notebook.  Looking forward to sharing this one later this fall.

I've been hearing lots about The Lion and the Bird by Marianne Dubuc and was not disappointed when I picked up my copy.  This is a great story of friendship that will invite lots of conversation. It reminded me a bit of two of my favorite picture books, South and How to Heal a Broken Wing.  Definitely one I'll use to talk about universal themes. 

I reread Sisters by Raina Telgemeir this week.  I planned our first 3 Books and Breakfast events (book clubs before school around one book each month) and I chose Sisters as the 2nd book.  I wanted to include a graphic novel early on and this one seemed to give us lots to talk about.  I showed this book trailer to my students on Friday and there was a lot of interest in this book.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

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With the beginning of the school year, I haven't been reading much at all. But I have read a few things this week that I thought I'd share.

Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen will be released in early October. It is a must read in my opinion.  I shared it with my 3rd graders this week and it was quite a hit. And the conversation around it was fabulous!  These 2 are brilliant, as always!

I discovered this nonfiction picture book, Moses: The True Story of an Elephant Baby, at Cover to Cover. It is a great story of a baby elephant with a bit about the importance of protecting elephants from poachers.  It is a little long but I think it is easily accessible to 2nd and 3rd graders. 

I have been hearing lots about Little Elliot, Big City and finally had a chance to read it yesterday.  I loved this book!  I loved the story, the characters and the illustrations. I haven't paid much attention to Caldecott possibilities but it would make me happy if this book won an award. 

I was thrilled to get a review copy of Princess in Black by Shannon Hale. I love anything by Shannon Hale and this looked perfect for 3rd graders. It is a simple chapter book (think Mercy Watson) about a princess who is all pink and proper on the outside but is really the Princess in Black who fights monsters.  I didn't get to read the whole thing before a student took it.....Hopefully I'll get it back soon!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Head over to Teach Mentor Texts for the It's Monday! What Are You Reading? round up.

Scholastic has a boatload of great new picture books coming out later this month and in September! (ARCs provided by the publisher)

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly!

by Lucille Colondro

illustrated by Jared Lee

Scholastic, August 2014

I have a whole collection of "Lady Who Swallowed a..." books, beginning with my very first one from a Scholastic book fair when I was in elementary school. Lucille Colandro has written almost a dozen different versions. This one is okay, but if we're going to go with swallowing a fly, I like the traditional ending!

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Dreidel

by Caryn Yacowitz

illustrated by David Slonim

Scholastic, August 2014

This version is hysterical! Not only does the old lady swallow everything you need to celebrate Chanukah, each item gets larger and impossibly larger, dreidel rhymes with fatal, AND...AND the illustrations are parodies of famous/sculptures in art history (details in the back matter)! So. Much. Fun.

The Cat, the Dog, Little Red, the Exploding Eggs, the Wolf, and Grandma

by Diane and Christyan Fox

Scholastic, August 2014

Shelve this book with INTERRUPTING CHICKEN. Cat can't get very far with her reading of Little Red Riding Hood before Dog interrupts with some assumptions and questions. First of all, he hears "cape" and goes immediately to super powers. Then, he wonders (reasonably) why the wolf doesn't just eat Little Red right there in the woods. And so on.

Fun stuff from the beginning endpapers to the end endpapers.

Hope for Winter: The True Story of A Remarkable Dolphin Friendship
told by David Yates, Craig Hatkoff, Juliana Hatkoff, and Isabella Hatkoff
Scholastic, August 2014

Another great addition to this series (Owen & Mzee, Knut, Looking for Miza, Leo the Snow Leopard, Winter's Tail) about a rescued orphan dolphin who becomes a friend for Winter, the dolphin with a prosthetic tail.

And due out in late September, one I REALLY can't wait to add to my class library:

Buried Sunlight: How Fossil Fuels Have Changed the Earth

by Molly Bang & Penny Chisholm

illustrated by Molly Bang,

Scholastic, September 2014

Next up in the Sunlight Series, we learn how fossil fuels were made and exactly how the burning of fossil fuels is releasing carbon chains that have been stored for millions of year into our atmosphere and changing the climate of our planet. Narrated by the sun, this book (the whole series, actually) is a must-read for any student (or adult) who needs to understand energy and the role of our Sun in...well, everything!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Head over to Teach Mentor Texts for the It's Monday! What Are You Reading? round up.

I had a great reading week.  Vacation and being in the car for 25+ hours helped!  I've read some great books lately. I know I'll have far less time to read with school starting but glad to have read the books I did. Here are some of the great books I've read lately--love and recommend them all.  Every single one was fabulous!

I just don't fit enough enough adult fiction so I made sure to do that on vacation last week. Both were great.

Landline

Where'd You Go, Bernadette: A Novel

In anticipation of Global Read Aloud in October, I reread

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

WOW! I have always loved this book but haven't read it for probably 6 years. Loved it even more this time and am excited to share it with kids as part of Global Read Aloud.

A heartbreaking book set in the Lower Ninth Ward during Hurricane Katrina.  Love the main character of this one. A Must Read!
Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere

A novel in verse that is set in Guatemala during the civil war.  A great book--I think this is probably intended for middle school.

Caminar by Skila Brown

A graphic novel (coming out in September) that I loved. Another Must Read!

El Deafo by Cece Bell

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

For the It's Monday! What Are You Reading? round up, visit Jen at Teach Mentor Texts! Thanks, Jen for this weekly event!

It was a good reading week.  I read more than usual, even though I had other things I probably should have been doing. These are my favorites from the week--these are all MUST READS in my opinion as I loved them all!

PICTURE BOOKS

Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas--This was an amazing story of an elephant seal. It is based on a true story and has great illustrations by Brian Floca. I had not heard of this book but fell in love with it immediately!  A very happy surprise read. This is one that will make a great read aloud in the fall.

My Teacher Is a Monster! (No, I Am Not.)-Every Peter Brown book is a MUST READ in my opinion. I so love this new one about a boy and his teacher. Love the way the story unfolds and I find new things in the pictures every time!

Pardon Me!-Thanks to Beth at Cover to Cover for sharing this book with me during my last shopping spree.  This is an almost wordless picture book. A fun story with great illustrations.  Kids will love it and I don't think you can ever have too many good wordless (or almost wordless) picture books.

MIDDLE GRADE

Rain Reign-This is definitely one of my favorite reads of the year.  This is a great story of a girl named Rose and her dog Rain.  Rose is diagnosed with Asperger's and she is character who will stay with me for a very long time.  This is the perfect middle grade novel--great issues to discuss without being too heavy for 4-6th graders. Love this one. (It doesn't come out til October and it seems unkind to share it when you can't really get it yet, but it is so good that you should order it right away and block off some time on its release day to read it!)

PROFESSIONAL BOOKS

The Revision Toolbox, Second Edition: Teaching Techniques That Work-I loved Georgia Heard's Revision Toolbox when the first edition came out so I was excited to see this one. This one is the same great thinking bout revision and the importance of changing our students' stance about revision. Georgia also includes lots of specific ideas for narrative, informational and persuasive writing which I needed as I think ahead to the school year.

And I am currently reading Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times by Eric Sheninger. I have followed the author on Twitter (@NMHS_Principal) for a while and have been hearing lots about the book. Even though it is intended for administrators, I am learning lots and seeing the impact technology can make on a whole school.  I have not read much but I already have lots to think about.  

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

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We kicked off Mother Reader's 48 Hour Read with a Central Ohio Blogger Breakfast and shopping trip to Cover to Cover.  It is a fun tradition we have in Central Ohio.  We do a lot of visiting, laughing and talking books.  Even though the traditional Granola was not up to our usual expectations, the morning was great fun!

Here are some of my favorite photos from this year's 48 Hour Read Kick-Off.

Bill gives his opinion on a book.

Mary Lee and Maria determine who is best suited to drive  to an upcoming event.

Katie gets confused and thinks she is a Cover to Cover employee:-)

The fabulous books I purchased at our get-together!

Now onto my reading! I didn't get in 48 hours of reading. That never really seems possible. But Mother Reader's Event invited me to spend more time than usual reading over the weekend. Here are some of the highlights!

Middle Grade Novels

Both of the middle grade novels I read came highly recommended. They are incredible reads and definitely books for our classrooms.   These are two of the best middle grade novels I've read in a long time. Great characters, lots to talk about, and perfect for 3-5th graders.

Absolutely Almost

Circa Now 

Picture Books

Hooray for Hat! Hooray for Hat!

Gaston

Tuesday Tucks Me In: The Loyal Bond between a Soldier and His Service Dog

Tea with Grandpa

Plant a Pocket of Prairie