It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a community of bloggers who link up to share what they are reading. For more information and to find out what other bloggers are reading check out the host blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers.
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Monday, February 20, 2017
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 and to find out what other bloggers are reading check out the host blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers.
Monday, February 13, 2017
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 and to find out what other bloggers are reading check out the host blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers.
What I Read This Week...
Bunny's Book Club by Annie Silvestro
This is one of a few books that I read this week that celebrate reading. A book-loving bunny finds a way to sneak inside the library so he can get books to bring back to his home. His book joy soon spreads to his animal friends who want books of their own to read. Bunny and his friends show readers how engaging and joyful reading can be. Both the story and the illustrations are heart-warming and sweet. This is a story that I think will help entice readers into the world of books.Dragon Was Terrible by Kelly DiPucchio
Dragon is terrible, actually super terrible. He stomps on flowers, chases fuzzy yellow ducklings, and even TP's the castle. The villagers want someone to tame the dragon. It almost seems impossible until a boy comes along with a storybook. The dragon's antics, the illustrations, and the narration all help to make this a very humorous tale. This fun read also has a great message about the power of story.Hug This Book! by Barney Saltzberg
This ode to books is all about the many things you can do with a book. You can read the book to a hippo, wrap it in a sweater, or kiss and hug and smell it. Suggestions are humorous, but also highlight the love that readers feel for books. The illustrations are bright and whimsical. Any book lover will relate to the message of this book.Gasparilla's Gold by Sandra Markle
I received this book from children's book author Augusta Scattergood who posted a giveaway opportunity on her blog. Gus is dealing with the recent death of his brother and is sent to an island in Florida to live with his aunt for the summer. Gus becomes involved in trying to protect animals in his aunt's wildlife refuge and search for a treasure. There is mystery and lots of adventure. Animal lovers especially will find the plot interesting. There is also factual information about the animals that appear in the story at the end of the book.The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot, and Score in This Game Called Life by Kwame Alexander
As a bonus, Augusta also sent me an ARC of Kwame Alexander's newest book. In this book, Kwame gives advice for living life inspired by the rules for sports. Along with rules which read as poems, such as "Even if you're afraid, when you get the chance shoot, launch your best shot" the book includes stories of success and inspirational quotes from famous athletes. Illustrations and photographs, mostly related to basketball, add interest to the book. The inspiration and motivation within this book will appeal to sports fan.Saturday, February 11, 2017
Celebrate This Week: Reading Days
Thank you to Ruth Ayres at Ruth Ayres Writes. She hosts a link-up every week that focuses on the reasons we have to celebrate.
Today I am celebrating found time. A blizzard last Thursday brought over a foot of snow, but also two snow days that gave me some unexpected free time. For me, there is never a question as to how I can spend found time. A snow day means plenty of time to read. I consider this no-guilt reading. Since I would normally be at school and not able to do chores or errands, I don't have to feel guilty about spending time reading instead of doing those things. With not just one, but two snow days, I had lots of time for reading.
I read an engaging, insightful novel called Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran. This story addresses immigration and motherhood and tells the story of two women, one living in the United States illegally after crossing the Mexican border and another who longs for a child. I had a hard time putting this one down. I also read a middle grade novel, an ARC of Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly that I received at NCTE, but still hadn't gotten to read yet. The characters are four very different middle school-aged kids whose lives intersect by chance, resulting in new friendships. I am in the midst of a professional read, How the Brain Learns to Read by David Sousa, which I am discussing with a group of literacy educators on Voxer. With my found time, I was able to read more of this book. I also started another professional read that I have on my #Mustreadin2017 list, Literacy Conversations in the Classroom: Deepening Understanding of Nonfiction and Narrative by Diane Barone and Rebecca Barone. Both professional books are enhancing my knowledge of literacy teaching.
My found time, with which I was able to get lots of reading accomplished, was definitely time well spent. The found time that I had to spend shoveling, on the other hand, did not quite measure up on the satisfaction scale. With additional snow possibly coming for Monday, there is always the chance of another snow day filled with reading, but I'm not quite so sure my back would appreciate that!
Monday, February 6, 2017
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 and to find out what other bloggers are reading check out the host blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers.