It's Monday: What are you reading?

Joining Jen and Kellee (TEACH MENTOR TEXTS) and Katherine (READ, WRITE, REFLECT) again this week for It's Monday: What Are You Reading?  I have somehow (against my better judgement) become a person who reads more than one book at a time.  This is new for me! It is definitely an interesting way to read--haven't decided if I like it or not.... Even though we don't start winter break until Thursday, I have started my participation in The Book-A-Day Challenge started by Donalyn Miller. I participated over the summer and I find it not only fun and a great gift to myself, but it is a great way to catch up on my TBR pile.

This week I finished THE AVIARY by Kathleen O'Dell. This is one of the books on Anderson's Book Shop's Mock Newbery list and I am so glad that I read it.  It is definitely a unique read.  A bit spooky and I loved the story and the characters.  It is a great story about a little girl named Clara. It reminded me a bit of The Little Princess, a bit of The Secret Garden and a bit of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (with a tiny bit of Home Alone mixed in...). It is truly a great book and a must-read in my opinion.

I also read BONE DOG by Eric Rohman as it seems to be on many Mock Caldecott lists. I love Eric Rohman's work but this wasn't one of my favorites. One I will add to the library and glad I read it.

Thanks to Mr. Schu's list on Watch. Connect. Read.  I picked up a copy of THE ADVENTURES OF SIR GAWAIN THE TRUE by Gerald Morris. This book was one on Mr. Schu's list of the Top 20 books of 2011 that I hadn't heard of. I figure if it was on Mr. Schu's top 20, it was a must-read.  (BTW, A huge CONGRATULATIONS goes out to Mr. Schu for meeting his reading goal of reading 2011 books in 2011!!)  Anyway, I LOVED Sir Gawain and am so glad I read it. I am always looking for great short chapter books--especially those that might appeal to boys. This book has adventure and humor and is definitely part of a series I want to add to our collection.

Another that I discovered on John Schumacher's list was AROUND THE WORLD by Matt Phelan. This is a fascinating graphic novels that shares the stories of 3 journeys around the world.

I have tried (REALLY HARD) to stick with 2011 books, even as amazing 2012 ARCS are delivered to my door. When I opened a copy of Katherine Applegate's upcoming THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN I knew that I could not hold out reading 2011 books much longer. This one is due out in mid-January so I wanted to get to it as soon as possible. This was a great first 2012 book. It is the story of Ivan, a gorilla who lives in a mall. He has a few friends but is lonely.  When a baby elephant (Ruby)  moves into the mall to be part of the daily show, things change. This is an amazing story. I loved Ivan and all of his friends in the mall. I loved the story and the format. And I loved learning about the true story that inspired the author to write this book. This is a must-read I think. An amazing upcoming book. So happy to have interrupted my 2011 Newbery reading to read this one!

So, there are still so many I want to read, but I may have to dig into my 2012 books during this #bookaday vacation.  EYE OF THE STORM by Kate Messner is next on my list for 2012 titles.

I am so looking forward to reading Tom Newkirk's new professional book, THE ART OF SLOW READING.  I have heard so many good things about it and love all of Newkirk's thinking. I have been saving it for holiday break when I have time to really dig into his newest thinking.

Currently, I am reading SPUNKY TELLS ALL by Ann Cameron--a great early chapter book.  I can already think of many kids who will love it.

I may stick with my original plan to read more from the Anderson's Mock Newbery list or I may choose other things. I am keeping my reading options open this week!

Holiday Book-A-Day

Really, I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed participating in Holiday Book-A-Day. Reading Donalyn Miller's idea on her blog last spring, I participated in #bookaday Summer. It was such a great way to catch up on my stack of books!  I felt the same way about the holidays.  We had a 12 day break, but I started early. My goal was to read 18 total books. Because holidays are busy, I knew I wouldn't be able to read a book every day, so I set a goal for an average of a book per day and a total of 18. I was smart about giving myself time to catch up on those shorter books that I hadn't gotten to yet!  It was a great vacation filled with new books, many of which I am excited to share with my students.  Below is the list of books I read along with some highlights.

Picture Books
I read several picture books. Most of my picks were books that I have been wanting to read before the Caldecott is announced in January.

BONE DOG by Eric Rohmann and THE HOUSE THAT BABA BUILT by Ed Youngare two I had wanted to read because they are both on several Mock Caldecott lists.

**I forget how I discovered FRENCH DUCKS IN VENICE by Garrett Freymann-Weyr but I loved it. It is a longer picture book that has a fairy-tale feel.  It is a sweet book with a great message about loss, friendship and healing.

Looking to add new picture book biographies, I read HERE COME THE GIRL SCOUTS by Shana Corey about the woman who created the Girl Scouts. An interesting look at something I hadn't thought much about.

I heard Joyce Sidman speak at the CLA Breakfast at NCTE in November and finally had time to read SWIRL BY SWIRL. This is a fascinating picture book about spirals in nature. Her poetic language makes it pretty unique.

*THE PRINCESS AND THE PIG by Jonathan Emmett is one that I keep hearing about. It is a fun twist on princess stories and will make a fun read aloud for all ages.

**THE SCAR by Charlotte Moundlic is a story of grief. A child has lost his mother to a long-term illness. This book is brilliant. I am not sure how to share this one or whether to share this one with young children but it is an important one to have on my shelf. It is one of the most well-done books on death that I've read for children.

**Thanks to Colby Sharp, I discovered PAUL THURLBY'S ALPHABET by Paul Thurlby. This is a simple picture book--one letter and word per spread. The illustrations are quite fun and kids will have a great time with this one! One of my new favorite alphabet books!

Graphic Novels
I also read 3 very different graphic novels that I've had on my stack. I am not a huge graphic novel reader so I only read the best-reviewed out there.  I want to keep up but they are not easy reads for me. Loved these three!
AROUND THE WORLD by Matt Phelan is a nonfiction GN and tells three stories of people who traveled around the world.

*A VERY BABYMOUSE CHRISTMAS was a fun one to read on Christmas Eve!  A great holiday treat.  I can never get enough of Babymouse!

I'm so glad I made time to read ANYA'S GHOST by Vera Brosgol. A unique YA graphic novel-perfect for middle school.

Middle Grade Novels
My goal was to stick with 2011 Middle Grade Novels until I caught up on my Newbery reading, but I could not resist reading a few 2012 ARCs and they were amazing.
*THE AVIARY by Kathleen O'Dell was one that I loved, even though I didn't expect to. It is a unique story with characters who I fell in love with. Definitely not one I would have picked up had it not been on the Anderson's Book Shop Mock Newbery list.

THE APOTHECARY by Maile Meloy is an interesting fantasy that is showing up on lots of 2011 lists. I think there will be a lot in this one that appeals to 4-6th graders who enjoy fantasy and magic.

*THE ADVENTURES OF SIR GAWAIN THE TRUE was on Mr. Schu's list of top books of 2011. I had missed it completely and am so glad to have discovered this series. It is a fun series for fantasy readers and for kids semi-new to chapter books.   I loved the humor in this one and found myself laughing out loud in several spots.

I loved both 2012 books that I read.  Both are must-reads in my opinion. (I would recommend preordering both so you don't forget!)

***THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN by Katherine Applegate. This is one I am so excited to share with my students.  A great animal story based on a true story of people standing up for the rights of animals.  Love love love everything about this book!  (more in this previous post)

***EYE OF THE STORM by Kate Messner is a great sci-fi adventure. It is hard to find great science fiction for this age so this is a great addition.  I could not put this one down. I loved the plot and the characters!  I loved the whole premise of this book--it was complex in the ideas and also fun to read because of the way Kate wrote it up.

I also read A YEAR WITHOUT AUTUMN by Liz Kessler. This was a quick read and one I think middle grade readers will enjoy. There is a good mix of fun and depth to the story.  Fans of 11 BIRTHDAYS by Wendy Mass and fans of THE MAGIC HALF by Annie Barrows will like this one.

Young Adult
I haven't read much by James Howe in a while and I was so happy to have found ADDIE ON THE INSIDE, a younger YA novel, probably perfect for middle school students. I loved Addie and everything about her. The real life middle school struggles were handled well and I can imagine this will be an important book for so many kids.  Hoping to read the rest in this series soon. (This was also written in verse which makes me love it even more:-)

*****HOW TO SAVE A LIFE by Sara Zarr may be my favorite YA read of the year.  I don't want to say much about it but I remember Paul Hankins mentioning it early in the year.  Definitely a must-read in my opinion. This one will live with me for a long time.

Adult
I finally finished WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by Sara Gruen. It wasn't a favorite but I think that's because I dragged it out for so long. I definitely need to give myself more time to read adult fiction as I didn't do that much this year.

Short Stories
I picked up THE TINY BOOK OF TINY STORIES by Joseph Gordon-Levitt because I thought it would be a handy book to use in Writing Workshops.  I love the idea of a story being told in a few words and with twitter and texting, I thought some of these pieces would be fun to study with kids.

I'm already looking forward to Summer Book-A-Day!

2011: A Year of 305 Books

Mary Lee has always been my reading idol.  We were in a book club together 20+ years ago and I was always amazed at how much she read.  She was the one who encouraged me to keep a log of my reading.  Blogging with her for the past 6 years has made me realize how lucky I am to have friends who read and how important that is to my reading life.

This year, it's not so much the books I read, but more the habits I started:

As I look at my 2011 reading, Goodreads changed my life. I had used it a bit before 2010, but decided to be diligent about tracking my reading carefully in 2011. Really, I had no idea how I kept track before.  Goodreads helps me track, reflect, find book to recommend, connect with friends, choose books, etc.  It has helped me in my own reading but has also helped me become a better resource for students and teachers looking for books. LOVE IT!  I also set a reading challenge for myself on Goodreads and met it.  I was part of a Mock Newbery group and a few others that kept me up to date on the books getting the most buzz. And it was so fun to hear everyone's opinions as we read monthly books.

I also found that groups/events like Titletalk, The Nerdy Book Club and the Facebook Centurions of 2011 group were important for me as I read throughout the year. They each provided a different type of support. And I read so many amazing books because of these networks.

And, thanks to Kevin Hodsgon's recent post reflecting on his 2011 reading, I realized that Goodreads will let me view fun stats about my year of reading. How fun is this!

Here are some reading highlights. Fifty or so books I LOVED in 2011.
January-40 books
Kakapo Rescue-NONFICTION
Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood-MIDDLE GRADE

February-13 books
How I, Nicky Flynn, Get a Life (and a Dog) by Art Corriveau-MIDDLE GRADE
Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt-MIDDLE GRADE

March-24 books
Mother Goose Picture Puzzles by Will Hillenbrand-PICTURE BOOK/POETRY
Can We Save the Tiger? by Martin Jenkins-NONFICTION
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai-MIDDLE GRADE
Emma Dilemma: Big Sister Poems by Kristine O'Donnell George-POETRY

April-27 books
Chime by Franny Billingsley-YOUNG ADULT
Bigger Than a Breadbox by Laurel Snyder-MIDDLE GRADE
Little Chicken's Big Day by Katie Davis and Jerry Davis-PICTURE BOOK
Also Known as Rowan Pohi by Ralph Fletcher-YOUNG ADULT

May-22 books
The Absolute Value of Mike by Kathryn Erskine-YOUNG ADULT
The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner-YOUNG ADULT
A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka-WORDLESS PICTURE BOOK
Babymouse Mad Scientist and Squish by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm-GRAPHIC NOVEL
Real Revision by Kate Messner-PROFESSIONAL BOOK

June-43 books
Time to Eat/Time to Sleep by Steve Jenkins-NONFICTION
Queen of the Falls by Chris Van Allsburg-PICTURE BOOK BIOGRAPHY
Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu-MIDDLE GRADE
The Friendship Doll by Kirby Larson-MIDDLE GRADE
Big Brothers Don't Take Naps by Louise Borden-PICTURE BOOK
Hidden by Helen Frost-MIDDLE GRADE
Should I Share My Ice Cream by Mo Willems-PICTURE BOOK
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick-MIDDLE GRADE
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett-ADULT NOVEL

July-28 books
Toys Come Home by Emily Jenkins-EARLY CHAPTER BOOK
Latasha and the Red Tornado by Michael Scotto-MIDDLE GRADE
Shine by Lauren Myracle-YOUNG ADULT
A Million Miles from Boston by Karen Day-MIDDLE GRADE

August-37 books
The One and Only Stuey Lewis by Jane Schoenberg-EARLY CHAPTER BOOK
Press Here by Herve Tullet-PICTURE BOOK
Leisl and Po by Lauren Olive-MIDDLE GRADE
Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George-MIDDLE GRADE
The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray-PICTURE BOOK

September-16 books
The Other Wes More: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore-ADULT NONFICTION
Waiting for Magic by Patricia MacLachlan-EARLY CHAPTER BOOK/MIDDLE GRADE
Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming-NONFICTION
Otis and the Tornado by Loren Long-PICTURE BOOK
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness-YOUNG ADULT
You Will be My Friend by Peter Brown-PICTURE BOOK

October-12 Books
Happy Pig Day! by Mo Willems-PICTURE BOOK
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen-PICTURE BOOK

November-15 books
Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet-PICTURE BOOK BIOGRAPHY
The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? by Mo Willems-PICTURE BOOK (2012)
The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann-MIDDLE GRADE
BookSpeak! by Laura Purdie Salas-POETRY
The Trouble With May Amelia by Jennifer Holm-MIDDLE GRADE
Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri-MIDDLE GRADE
The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang-MIDDLE GRADE

December-28 books

Sparrow Road by Sheila O'Connor-MIDDLE GRADE

The Aviary by Kathleen O'Dell-MIDDLE GRADE

Sir Gawain the True by Gerald Morris-EARLY CHAPTER/MIDDLE GRADE

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate-MIDDLE GRADE (2012)

Eye of the Storm by Kate Messner-MIDDLE GRADE (2012)

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr-YOUNG ADULT