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...

Could You Ever Waddle With Penguins!? by Sandra Markle and illustrated by Vanessa Morales

Readers will learn facts about Adélie penguins and what life would be like if they lived with them. The format of this book is engaging and the combination of photos and illustrations is cool, too. 

Cranky by Phuc Tran and illustrated by Pete Oswald

Cranky is crankier than usual and does not want to talk about it. Cranky's friends try to help and don't understand why their efforts aren't working. This book shows the importance of giving others space and communicating one's needs. The construction vehicles as characters, the illustrations, and the puns are all a lot of fun.

Have You Seen Mikki Olsen? by Alex MacDonald

Penguin and his favorite toy named Mikki Olsen spend all their time together. At the end of a busy day, Penguin loses track of the toy. As Penguin searches, readers will be amused that they know where they pink bear is located. A cute and silly story.

I Am Money by Julia Cook and Garrett Gunderson and illustrated by Josh Cleland

This is a fun approach to teaching readers about money including how to earn it, save it, spend it, and share it. There are lots of tips about how to be financially responsible.

The Three Little Tardigrades by Sandra Fay

Mother Tardigrade sends her three little tardigrades, Gavin, Colin, and Doug, off into the world. Not having ever left their droplet of H₂O, the little tardigrades are hesitant, but each head off to their preferred destination. Just as they each are going to make themselves comfortable in their new home, they find themselves face-to-face with the Big Hairy Wolf Spider. This is a unique take on a popular fairytale and sure to get readers interested in learning more about the tardigrade.

Adult Reading Recommendations

Who to Believe by Edwin Hill

A restaurant owner, in the small fictional town of Montreith, on the coast of Massachusetts, has recently been murdered and, as the crime is still being investigated, the community is a little on edge. The book alternates between the perspective of a few different characters whose lives are interconnected and each one of them has secrets. The plot kept me guessing and there were a few surprising twists. I enjoyed the setting which the author, who is from Massachusetts, noted at the end was partly based on the town I grew up in. 

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...

Cupig: The Valentine's Day Pig by Claire Tattersfield and illustrated by Rob Sayegh Jr.

This is a silly rhyming story about Cupig, a pig whose arrows go a little off course during a storm. Instead of bringing pairs together, her Valentine's mishap results in break-ups. Cupig knows she must make it all right again. There are lots of fun puns.

 

Elijah's Easter Suit by Brentom Jackson and illustrated by Emmanuel Boateng

Elijah wants the perfect Easter suit so that he will be the first kid at church to get a special shout-out from the Reverend. Inspired by a few members of his church community, he creates a suit that honors his culture and family history. A charming book about tradition.

The Red Fruit by Lee Gee Eun

A baby bear climbs a tree thinking there will be more delicious red fruit. Whenever the fruit appears within reach, the bear realizes what appears to be fruit is something else entirely. The mostly black and white illustrations are lovely and pull the reader into the bear's risky adventure.

Sam's New Sister by Michelle Olson

Although Sam is the smallest button in the craft box, and because of this misses out on some things, he enjoys the attention he receives. That changes when a new button is adopted and he is now a big brother. Sam runs away to escape his sister, but when she is in need he realizes it's not so bad to have a little sister after all. The artwork in this book is great. There are three other books in the series featuring characters from the craft box.

Adult Reading Recommendation

The Women by Kristin Hannah

This is an intense and heart-wrenching book. I had tears in my eyes within the first fifty pages and many times after that. Frankie joins the Army as a nurse, spends two years serving in Vietnam, and then returns home to her family, who like many others in the country are not welcoming upon her return. Although the book is almost five hundred pages, I read it in a weekend because it was such a compelling read. Some of the plot is predictable, but the insight into the time period was fascinating to me. I've read more books than I can count about World War II, but I realized when reading this one that I haven't read any about the Vietnam War. Not having as much knowledge as I probably should have about this time in history, I found this to be an impactful read.