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Monday, July 26, 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...


Pangolina by Jane Goodall and illustrated by Daishu Ma

A pangolin tells about her life and how she was captured by a hunter and then saved by a human child. Readers will learn information about this unique creature and gain insight into the dangers they face. The author shares tips for helping to protect pangolins at the end of the book, but the broader message is to care for all animals in our world.

What I Am by Divya Srinivasan

This is a lovely picture book to help readers explore identity and understand that how they describe themselves may change depending on the situation. I'm adding it to my list of books that are useful to read aloud at the beginning of the year. 

Geraldine Pu and Her Lunch Box, Too! (Ready to Read Graphics) by Maggie P. Chang

Geraldine loves her lunchbox and the lunches her Amah packs for her until her 
classmates exclaim that what she is eating is gross and weird. When another student has the same problem, Geraldine shows the benefits of having an open mind about the food others eat. Written as a graphic novel, this book has an interesting format, but it has an importance message, as well. 

Monday Into the Cave of Thieves (Total Mayhem #1) by Ralph Lazar

Dash's day of mayhem begins before breakfast and continues throughout his school day as he becomes involved in investigating the mysterious theft of a trophy and one of the world's most expensive bottles of perfume. This is a fast-paced story with adventure and lots of absurdity that will appeal to kids. It's not quite a graphic novel, but illustrations make up a majority of the book. 

Forever This Summer (Love Like Sky #2) by Leslie C. Youngblood

Georgie is spending the summer in Louisiana with her mother because her Aunt Vie who has Alzheimer's is in need of care. Georgie meets and befriends Markie Jean and becomes involved in helping her find her biological mother. She also decides to raise awareness of Alzheimer's with a community talent show. This is a charming story that explores friendship, family secrets, and activism. Books with great characters and a great setting are always a win for me. 

Adult Reading Recommendation


How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith

I started listening to this on audio after receiving it through the Libro.fm Educator ALC Program, but also got a print version because I wanted to devote more concentration and deep thought to it than I'm able to do while driving or doing chores. It's an eye-opening and thought-provoking examination of how slavery is understood, revealing truths about its role in American history. The author visited memorials and landmarks throughout the U.S. and one in Dakar, Senegal and wrote a chapter about each, describing his experience. I learned something from each chapter. The author's lyrical writing is beautiful, both for listening and reading.

6 comments:

  1. Lots of great books this week! I've begun reading early chapter books with my son and Monday Into the Cave of Thieves looks like something he would enjoy. Thank you!

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  2. What a great set of books! What I Am sounds lovely, and I've seen a lot of praise for Geraldine Pu and Her Lunch Box, Too! Forever This Summer sounds like an excellent MG novel as well. And it's great that you made the switch over to Follow.it! Thanks so much for the great post!

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  3. Amazing new to me books here! My shopping cart just had to get switch to a library reserve cart. Thank you!

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  4. Thanks for sharing these books today. I am now off to see if I can find a copy of Geraldine Pu and Her Lunch Box, Too!

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  5. I really liked Geraldine Pu! Looking forward to the next one in that series! I quickly read What I Am, but need to spend some more time with it.

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  6. I loved Geraldine Pu! Pagolina looks like an informative picture book to share with kids.

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