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...

Alphabuddies: G is First by Beth Bacon and Karen Kane and illustrated by Eric Barclay 

G wants to play a game and be first, but A is convinced that this will destroy reading. Z joins in, insisting along with G that they take turns. An amusing book told through dialogue.

I Have Seven Dogs by Molly Horan and illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte

Although Zoe would like a dog she is unable to have one in her apartment. She introduces the reader to all the dogs in her neighborhood and when she visits the community garden she figures out a way to solve what she thought was an unsolvable problem. This is a fun story about making the best out of a less than perfect situation.

Sari-Sari Summers by Lynnor Bontigao

Finally, Nora, who is visiting her lola in the Philippines, is old enough to help at the sari-sari store. When it gets hot and customers are not stopping into the store, Nora thinks about the mango tree that is planted outside and has a smart and delicious idea to boost their business. This is a sweet and joyful book.

Super Small: Miniature Marvels of the World by Tiffany Stone and illustrated by Ashley Spires

This is an informative book about a variety of creatures that are all super small. For each creature the book tells about there is a poem and a mini comic giving more details about its superpower. The book includes humor, great illustrations, and information kids will find fascinating. 

What If I'm Not a Cat? by Kari-Lynn Winters and illustrated by Kelly Collier

This is a very humorous book with a great message about belonging and accepting one's differences. Having been raised with the cats on the farm, donkey has always believed he was a cat. But then one day, he starts to question whether he actually is a cat. I look forward to reading this one aloud to kids.

Totally Psychic by Brigid Martin 

This is a fun read about a twelve-year-old who has a gift, like her famous abuela, that gives her the ability to communicate with ghosts and see the future. She is determined to prove her medium abilities so she starts doing spirit readings at her school and on social media even though she knows her mother does not approve of her using her psychic abilities. Some challenges arise as Paloma navigates her powers and along the way she learns about friendship, family, and responsibility. Middle grade readers who enjoy magical realism and ghosts will like this one.

Professional Read

The Vocabulary Playbook: Learning Words That Matter, K-12 by Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey

I always have way more professional books on my summer to-be-read list than I can ever get to. This is one of the professional reads I have managed to squeeze into my reading this summer. There's a lot of information and ideas about teaching vocabulary. This includes insight into direct instruction, morphology, peer collaboration and talk, and assessment. I look forward to revisiting it in the fall and using some of the ideas.