It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. Jen Vincent ofTeach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye of Unleashing Readers decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now...you just might discover your next “must-read” book!
Last week was my comic book/graphic novel edition. I was trying to catch up on some graphic novels and as you can see in one of the photographs further down, I have purchased a few more graphic novels to read (though a few of them I have read, Jax, aka, the 14 yro, had not read them). This week I was trying to catch up with new picture books, but before we get to what I read. Here are some highlights from last week along with links.
Books featured on the blog last week:
Night Animals by Gianna Marino
Don't forget to check out the Nonfiction New Releases Post.
Check out what teen blogger, Carolyn is reading in her Summer Round-Up Post.
Here are my book purchases from last week:
Here is what I have been reading....
The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt; Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers (Philomel, August 18, 2015) - Often times, sequels fail to live up to the first book but Daywalt & Jeffers hit it out of the park with this one. Be sure to pre-order your copy from your local indie bookstore.
First Grade Dropout by Audrey Vernick; Illustrated by Matthew Cordell (Clarion Books, July 7, 2015) - What happens when you make a mistake and everyone laughs? For some kids, it feels like the end of the world. First Grade Dropout will be great as a read aloud and discussion starter.
Woodpecker Wham! by April Pulley Sayre; Illustrated by Steve Jenkins (Henry Holt, May 12, 2015) - I will be sharing more about this book on an upcoming Wednesday nonfiction picture book post.
I'm Trying to Love Spiders by Bethany Barton (Viking Books for Young Readers, July 7, 2015) - A bit more of a fiction book but definitely filled with facts. A good entryway to spiders.
Welcome Home, Bear: A Book of Animal Habitats by Il Sung Na (Knopf Books, July 7, 2015) - If you are looking for a fiction pair up for animal habitats for younger children, this will be worth the look. The illustrations are beautiful.
Mummy Cat by Marcus Ewert; Illustrated by Lisa Brown (Clarion Books, July 21, 2015) - Cat lovers will appreciate the sentiments in this story. I was also fascinated with the facts about Egyptians and burial procedures contained at the end of the book.
Marilyn's Monster by Michelle Knudsen; Illustrated by Matt Phelan (Candlewick, March 10, 2015) - I may have a new favorite book. I love Matt Phelan's illustrations and the story is wonderful too.
Rory the Dinosaur: Me and My Dad by Liz Climo (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, May 5, 2015) - I am always skeptical of "parent" books. However, I really love Rory and his dad and this one made me love the pair even more.
Maple and Willow Apart by Lori Nichols (Nancy Paulsen Books, July 21, 2015) - Here is another author who just keeps a series moving along in a way that just keeps getting better. Fans of Maple and Willow will love this book.
Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast by Joss Funk; Illustrated by Brendan Kearney (Sterling, September 1, 2015) - Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast learn a lesson as they race for that last drop of maple syrup. A humorous read aloud with an important lesson to learn.
The Tea Party in the Woods by Akiko Miyakoshi (Kids Can Press, August 1, 2015) - Described as Alice in Wonderland meets Little Red Riding Hood, The Tea Party in the Woods is even better thanks to Miyakoshi own spin on a little girl traveling to deliver a pie to grandma's house.
Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova by Laurel Snyder; Illustrated by Julie Morstad (Chronicle Books, August 18, 2015) - You will be hearing more from me about this one. I think this is one of the best by both Snyder and Morstad.
Fur, Fins, and Feathers: Abraham Dee Bartlett and the Invention of the Modern Zoo by Cassandre Maxwell (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, August 10, 2015) - I knew next to nothing about Abraham Dee Bartlett or the origins of the London Zoo; however, Maxwell drew me in and made me want to know more. Always good with a picture book biography.
Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate (Feiwel & Friends, September 22, 2015) - Do I really need to encourage anyone to read this? It is by Katherine Applegate, that alone should have you ordering this one. And it has a large black & white cat as an imaginary friend! Seriously, what more do you need? This probably is one of my favorite Middle Grade reads of the year, and a heart-print book for sure.
So, what are you reading?