It’s Monday! What
Are You Reading? is a community of bloggers who link up to share what they are
reading. For more information check out
the host blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers.
What I Read This Week…
Goodnight Already! By Jory John
A very tired bear
is visited by his wide-awake neighbor, Duck, in this humorous picture
book. Bear is adamant that he needs to
sleep, but Duck is bored and repeatedly keeps him from falling asleep. The ending, in which Duck falls asleep and
Bear is now wide awake, is somewhat predictable, but young readers will be
amused. There is humor in the
illustrations as well. Readers will be
amused with Bear’s expressions, which exactly capture his feelings, and the
details in the illustrations, such as Bear’s purple and pink star robe and his
stuffie that makes an appearance throughout the book.
Sick Simon by Dan Krall
Although Simon is
sick, he goes to school. He is pictured in the story as sneezing on his
classmates and having a runny nose and by the end of the week it is apparent
he has gotten his classmates sick. The
germs turn up while Simon is riding the bus home from school and they teach him
a lesson about proper hygiene for when one is sick. This book teaches the behaviors that are
necessary when one is sick in an interesting and humorous way. Many of the illustrations, such as Simon’s
dripping nose, are gross, but will entertain young readers.
Mad Scientist Academy: The Dinosaur Disaster by Matthew McElligott
This is a picture
book written in comic book style, reminiscent of the Magic School Bus. Like Ms. Frizzle, Dr. Cosmic has an unusual
teaching style in which his students experience and learn about a
science-related topic. As a group of
students visit the dinosaur exhibit at their new school they not only learn
information about dinosaurs, bu find themselves involved in a mishap in which
the dinosaurs come alive. The story is
interesting and informative. I think the
illustrations, which include lots of detail and are action-packed, will be
attractive to readers and make them want to return to this story again and
again.
I’m Trying to Love Spiders by Bethany Barton
This picture book
is fun and informative. Readers will
learn a lot of information about spiders and may even be persuaded to like
spiders a little bit when they realize, like the narrator does, that spiders
are helpful when they eat bugs. The text
is written in a conversational tone, drawing the reader into the narrator’s
efforts not to squish the spider. The
narrator even suggests trying to pet the spider. Throughout the book, the narrator tells
interesting information about spiders to help readers see them in a new
light. Young readers will laugh, as well
as learn.
Toys Meet Snow: Being the Wintertime Adventures of a Curious Stuffed Buffalo, a Sensitive Plush Stingray, and a Book-loving Rubber Ball by Emily Jenkins
This picture book is based on the toy characters from the chapter books in the Toys trilogy. The three toys are adventuring outside to see snow for the first time. The simple story tells of their wonder and amazement as they play in the snow. Lumphy, the Buffalo, has questions about the snow and while Plastic answers factually, StingRay offers his own poetic version. They return to the house and appreciate the peacefulness of the snow and the warmth. The book tells a sweet, whimsical tale that will get readers excited about the first snow fall.
Kristy’s Great Idea (The Baby-sitters Club Graphix #1) by Ann Martin and Raina Telgemeier
I have never read
any Ann Martin’s original Babysitter Club books so I don’t know how this new
version of the series compares to the original, but the graphic style is sure
to interest many readers. The graphic
novel centers on four girls who have formed a baby-sitting club and in addition
to running their club are dealing with family issues and learning how to handle
conflict between friends. I think many
readers will be able to relate to the characters and connect to the problems that
the characters are facing. I anticipate
that this series will become very popular with my students.
A Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord
This is a chapter
book for middle grade readers that tells a heartwarming tale of friendship.
Lily, who has lived with her grandparents since her mother died when she was
two, feels left behind now that her best friend has become interested in
boys. She begins an unlikely friendship
with Salma, whose family members are migrant workers in the blueberry
fields. The story touches upon issues
related to differences, growing up, and friendship. It also shows the power of friends and family
and the ways in which they can support one another.