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Monday, May 16, 2016

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?


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…

If You Ever Want to Bring a Piano to the Beach, Don't! by Elise Parsley

This is a picture book that I can see young readers wanting to read again and again.  Magnolia insists on bringing her piano to the beach and she is quite determined as she pushes and drags it and finds a way to get it there.  Her mother warns, "you'd better not lose it!"  One would think you couldn't lose a piano at the beach, but it is a whole other story for Magnolia.  It's an adorable and entertaining story that I'm looking forward to reading to my students at the end of the school year as we look forward to summer.

Mr. Particular: The World's Choosiest Champion! by Jason Kirschner

Mr. Particular is a hero, but one who, "liked things the way he liked them - and only the way he liked them."  All non-dessert food must have ketchup, no humming, shirts should be tucked in, and mud (and also oatmeal) is too squishy.  When the Super Duper Group no longer want Mr. Particular in their group because he is too picky, he shows them that he is a true hero.  This is a picture book written and illustrated in comic book style that tells a fun story of an unlikely hero.

Rules of the House by Mac Barnett

The cover of this picture book intrigued me and when I saw the author was Mac Barnett I knew I had to read it.  It is imaginative, a little weird, and, with frightening monsters, a bit suspenseful. It's also a story that anyone who's ever been annoyed by their sibling will probably relate to.  Ian is a rule follower, but his sister, Jenny, is a rule breaker and neither one seems to understand the other.  While they are staying at a cabin, Jenny breaks the house rules and there are frightening consequences.  Ian realizes there is a very important, unwritten rule, "always save your sister from being eaten by monsters" and that sometimes rules have to be broken.  Rule breakers and rule followers alike will enjoy this one.   

Wolf Camp by Andrea Zuill

This picture book about Homer, a dog, who must go to Wolf Camp where he will live as a wolf for a week will make readers laugh.  After Homer carries around the flyer for Wolf Camp, "his people" finally let him attend.  Homer learns about being a wolf, but not everything about being a wolf is what Homer expected.  Homer is sweet and funny.  The illustrations are fun and add to the humor. This book would be a good one to read to a child going to camp, but it's also one to read just for the fun of it.  

The Curious Cat Spy Club by Linda Joy Singleton

When Kelsey discovers abandoned kittens in a dumpster, two schoolmates help her to rescue them and together they form The Curious Cat Spy Club.  They take care of the kittens, but also work to solve a mystery that involves missing pets.  Although the three friends are very different from each other, their love of animals joins them together.  In the story they must work together and learn to understand their differences and get along with one another.  This is the first in a series that mystery readers and animal lovers will enjoy.

The Remarkable Journey of Charlie Price by Jennifer Maschari

Charlie's mom has recently died and both he and his sister, Imogen, feel like they have lost everything.  Then Imogen discovers a secret world where their mom still exists and it seems that they can get back the happiness they all had together.  Charlie soon learns that this other world is not as it appears and there is a possibility that Imogen could be lost to it forever.  With the help of a good friend and a dog, Charlie is determined to bring his sister back. There are sad parts to this story, there are important themes related to loss, memories, and courage, there is a bit of fantasy and magic, and there are endearing characters.  It's heart-breaking, but also full of hope and warmth. Such a lovely book and I'm looking forward to the next novel by this author.

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12 comments:

  1. Nice assortment of picture books. I should spend some time this summer at the public library catching up on all the good ones I've been missing. Come see what I read last week. Happy reading!

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    1. I'm looking forward to summer since it hopefully will mean more time to read!

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  2. I haven't read any of these, Lisa, though some are 'still' on my lists. Rules of The House sounds very interesting, lots of imagination there. Thanks!

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  3. These books are all new to me. I'll be checking them out from my library to see which ones will go on my "good enough to buy" list! :-)

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  4. OK, I've just put a bunch of books on hold at the library! The Remarkable Journey of Charlie Price sounds particular wonderful, I'm really looking forward to reading it.

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    1. Thank goodness for libraries! I always have a stack of books on hold!

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  5. The Remarkable Journey of Charlie Price - this is a book for my library, it sounds like a powerful read.

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    1. Yes, it is powerful. It's definitely one of those books that I want to tell others, "You should read this!"

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  6. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on Elise Parsley's new book. I have "If You Ever Want to Bring An Alligator to School, Don't!" in my classroom library. It's cute and my fifth graders like to pick it up every now and then. I've requested "Mr. Particular", "Rules of the House", and "Wolf Camp" from my library. These look like fun reads. Thanks for sharing these and have a great week!

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    1. Glad there were some titles that interested you. I hope you enjoy your week, too!

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