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...

Could You Ever Waddle With Penguins!? by Sandra Markle and illustrated by Vanessa Morales

Readers will learn facts about Adélie penguins and what life would be like if they lived with them. The format of this book is engaging and the combination of photos and illustrations is cool, too. 

Cranky by Phuc Tran and illustrated by Pete Oswald

Cranky is crankier than usual and does not want to talk about it. Cranky's friends try to help and don't understand why their efforts aren't working. This book shows the importance of giving others space and communicating one's needs. The construction vehicles as characters, the illustrations, and the puns are all a lot of fun.

Have You Seen Mikki Olsen? by Alex MacDonald

Penguin and his favorite toy named Mikki Olsen spend all their time together. At the end of a busy day, Penguin loses track of the toy. As Penguin searches, readers will be amused that they know where they pink bear is located. A cute and silly story.

I Am Money by Julia Cook and Garrett Gunderson and illustrated by Josh Cleland

This is a fun approach to teaching readers about money including how to earn it, save it, spend it, and share it. There are lots of tips about how to be financially responsible.

The Three Little Tardigrades by Sandra Fay

Mother Tardigrade sends her three little tardigrades, Gavin, Colin, and Doug, off into the world. Not having ever left their droplet of H₂O, the little tardigrades are hesitant, but each head off to their preferred destination. Just as they each are going to make themselves comfortable in their new home, they find themselves face-to-face with the Big Hairy Wolf Spider. This is a unique take on a popular fairytale and sure to get readers interested in learning more about the tardigrade.

Adult Reading Recommendations

Who to Believe by Edwin Hill

A restaurant owner, in the small fictional town of Montreith, on the coast of Massachusetts, has recently been murdered and, as the crime is still being investigated, the community is a little on edge. The book alternates between the perspective of a few different characters whose lives are interconnected and each one of them has secrets. The plot kept me guessing and there were a few surprising twists. I enjoyed the setting which the author, who is from Massachusetts, noted at the end was partly based on the town I grew up in.