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Monday, January 18, 2021

Recent Reads

 

Every Monday, I share books I have recently read. I also participate in It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, a community of bloggers who link up to share what they are reading. To find out what other bloggers are reading, check out the host blogs, Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers, or follow on Twitter at #imwayr.

Recent Reads...

Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho and illustrated by Dung Ho

A young girl notices that some others have eyes that are different than hers, but also that hers are similar to those in her family. This is a heart-warming story about self-acceptance and the appreciation of one's heritage.

The Midnight Fair by Gideon Sterer and illustrated by Mariachiara Di Giorgio

After the fairground closes for the night, woodland animals sneak in and enjoy the rides, games, and treats in this wordless book. Whimsical and captivating.

Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham

In the note at the end of this book, the author describes it as "a time capsule of our moment in history" and it truly captures the events, details, and feelings of the lockdowns that occurred due to the coronavirus. A beautiful and hopeful story about community and connection.

The Comeback by E. L. Shen

Maxine Chen is a competitive figure skater who is dealing with challenges on and off the ice. There is a new skater at the rink who is really good and seems like she will be tough competition. At school, Maxine is facing racism and bullying from a classmate. As she navigates her skating and school life, Maxine grows in her confidence. In addition to giving insight into the sport of ice-skating, there are relevant and timely themes. 

Adult Reading...

Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson

This is a heart-wrenching and gripping book set during the pre-Civil War era. It tells the story of Pheby who is anticipating her freedom when she turns eighteen, but shortly before is sent to a jail for enslaved people known as Devil's Half Acre and becomes the mistress of the jail's owner. The author was inspired to write Pheby's story after learning about the life of Mary Lumpkin who lived at Lumpkin's jail, a slave holding facility that existed in Virginia. This book gives insight into a grim time in our history, while being a story of courage and hope.

6 comments:

  1. Yellow Wife does indeed sound 'heart-wrenching', Lisa. I'm still waiting for "Eyes That Kiss", know it will be lovely! I loved 'Outside Inside" & will look for 'The Midnight Fair'. Thanks much!

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  2. I just adored Eyes that Kiss at the Corners. Looking forward to Outside, Inside for I love her Pham's illustrations.

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  3. Oh yes, I loved Eyes That Kiss! Such a sweet celebration of family and heritage. I'm adding Midnight Fair to my list, which is new to me. And I thought I had Outside, Inside on my list, but I'm glad I checked -- it's there, now. Thank you for all these shares, Lisa!

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  4. Yellow Wife sounds like a painful but powerful story. The Comeback sounds excellent, and Outside, Inside does sound like a great record of our current time. Thanks for the great post!

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  5. I've been reading such great things about Eyes That Kiss in the Corners this week. If it wasn't already on my list, it sure would be now! I have Outside, Inside on reserve at my library, so I have that to look forward to too.
    Thanks for sharing these books today and enjoy reading this week.

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  6. Yellow Wife sounds important and good. I've ordered Inside, Outside, but don't have it yet. Looking forward to reading it!

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