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Monday, February 27, 2023

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...


Nell Plants a Tree by Anne Wynter and illustrated by Daniel Miyares 

This text, written in verse, tells two stories. One is about the ways children, in the present, enjoy a pecan tree in a family member's yard and the other, which takes place in the past, is about Nell, who planted the pecan seed and nurtured it as it grew. Both, the text and illustrations, are absolutely gorgeous. 

Plátanos Go with Everything by Lissette Norman and illustrated by Sara Palacios

This book is a celebration of family, Dominican culture, and plátanos. The author's poetic descriptions of plátanos are beautiful. I appreciated learning the different ways plátanos can be enjoyed. I annually visit Miami Beach (and just did so last week) and always have a meal while I'm there that includes plátanos. The illustrations are colorful and lively.

Sunny and Oswaldo by Nicole Melleby and illustrated by Alexandra Colombo

Sunny is not fond of cats and she really dislikes Oswaldo who her dad has brought home. Although Oswaldo and Sunny's dad have a strong bond with one another, the cat does not warm up to Sunny. That changes when Sunny and her dad search for Oswaldo after he doesn't come home one night. This is a sweet story about empathy and the importance of understanding others before forming an opinion. 

Adult Reading Recommendation


The Lost English Girl by Julia Kelly

While on vacation at the beach last week, I was able to read a handful of novels and this was one of my favorites. It takes place during WWII and specifically tells a story centered around the evacuation of children to the country-side that took place at the beginning of the war. When Viv gets pregnant she marries the father of her child, but because he is Jewish her parents pay him to leave her. When the war begins she makes the painful decision to send her four-year-old to live with a couple where she will supposedly be safe. This is the story of being a mother during the tragedy of the war, as well as a story that highlights the challenges of living with the prejudices of the time. It's a compelling story of resilience.

5 comments:

  1. I will look for The Lost English Girl, Lisa. I am always curious to read of that time in history when parents made that decision. I liked the War That Save My Life & then the sequel, so this one sounds good, too. Yes, I loved Nell Plants a Tree, too, & will look for the one about plátanos. How wonderful you got to go to the beach! Thanks for all!

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  2. Nell Plants a Tree was already on my list, but if it wasn't... A number of years ago we went to a family reunion in southern Saskatchewan. The gathering was at a park created in the early 1960's. It's now a glorious spot surrounded by trees. We were all grateful for those people who had the original vision. Thanks for the heads up about The Lost English Girl. Goodreads now has a give away, but unfortunately, it's not available here in Canada.

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  3. Platanos looks good. I do love the various ways they can be enjoyed.

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  4. Nell Plants a Tree is getting on my TBR as is The Lost English Girl (WWII books are among my favorite ones to read)..
    My IMWAYR post is here

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  5. I super love the look of Nell Plants a tree - unfortunately still not available via Overdrive where I am. :( I just borrowed The Secret of the Platano by Luz Maria Mack - would be a good companion text for Platanos Go With Everything. :)

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