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Monday, October 17, 2022

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...


Brave Every Day by Trudy Ludwig and illustrated by Patrice Barton

Camilla is a worrier and thinks about all the things that could go wrong during her class field trip to the aquarium. When she discovers that Kai is afraid of getting close to the stingray, she helps him and realizes she is braver than she thought. This is a sweet book about overcoming fears.

I Won't Give Up My Rubber Band by Shinsuke Yoshitake 

A child finds joy in an everyday object. After finding a rubber band that was thrown out, the narrator claims it and imagines all the things that can be done with it. Some are very humorous. Kids who have treasured their own ordinary random objects will be able to relate.

The Legend of the Spirit Serpent by Adaiah Sanford and illustrated by Ken Daley 

This is a retelling of a legend from the island of Dominica about an adventurous and curious girl who visits the Spirit Serpent who guards her village even though she has been warned not to. It's an engaging story about courage. The illustrations, especially the vertical, two-page spread of the serpent are gorgeous. The author of this book was seven years old when she wrote and won the 1st Annual Caribbean Writer's Contest. 

Mr. Bat Wants a Hat by Kitty Black and illustrated by Laura Wood

Mr. Bat is pretty content, but when he notices people with hats he decides that a hat is what has been missing from his life. He spots a sleeping baby with a hat with pink roses and glitter and snatches it for himself. When the baby wails Mr. Bat learn a lesson and he rights his wrong. This is an amusing story and I think readers will enjoy Mr. Bat.

Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega and illustrated by Rose Bousamra

Marlene's mother brings her to the salon every Sunday to get her hair straightened. She dislikes going to the salon and feels that her hair is not beautiful because it is curly. Although her mother leads her to believe that her hair is more acceptable straight, Marlene's tía helps her learn to embrace her curly hair. This is a heartfelt and engaging story centering around Marlene's struggles with her hair that addresses themes related to self-acceptance and standing up for oneself. There are lots of important ideas for middle readers to discuss. The illustrations are lovely. This is definitely a must-have for middle grade classrooms.

4 comments:

  1. Each one sounds like a plus for reading aloud and talking about what happened and why. All new to me, too, Lisa! Thanks!

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  2. I loved Frizzy. I can't wait until it comes out to share it with my students.

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  3. All new titles to me! So many good sounding ones! My daughter teaches pre-k and I think she’d love Mr. Bat Wants a Hat. Thanks fo sharing! -amy @mothergooselibrarian

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  4. These all look great! My sons are in their 20's now, so I don't get to see any of the new picture books. BTW, I am unable to comment on your blog from my usual Firefox browser. I had to paste the link into Safari & then the commenting worked. Just FYI. Enjoy your books this week!

    Sue
    Book By Book

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