Teach Mentor Texts: It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 06/25/12

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. 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…who knows, you might discover that next “must read” book!

After doing the meme for a couple of weeks, we realized this would be a fun meme to start up with a kidlit focus - anyone reading and reviewing books in children's literature - it can be picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, you name it in the world of kidlit and it's in! We have loved being a part of this meme and we hope you do too! We encourage everyone participating to go and visit the other kidlit book bloggers that link up and to comment on as many posts as you can. We love talking books and believe in sharing and discussing what we're reading. We hope you join us!

Last Week's Book Adventures:

Jen Says: I finished I've Got Your Number on audio last week! I feel like I haven't finished much lately so it was an accomplishment for me! I loved it. I usually enjoy anything Sophie Kinsella writes. I also read Naked Reading by Teri Lesesne. I love reading a professional book that confirms everything I have been doing and believe in when it comes to teaching kids and reading. Otherwise, I didn't get much reading done. We ended up taking a little roadtrip up to the Mall of American in Minnesota for a few days. We had a lot of fun but there isn't much down time with two kiddos in a totally unknown place to all of us. It feels good to be home!

Kellee Says: Since I am back from vacation, I am right back into the swing of #bookaday and #summerthrowdown. First, on the bus to and from NYC I was able to finish Inside Out and Back Again and Maus I & II. I was so glad that I reread Maus. The first time I tried, I really didn't like it, but I think it was because it was one of my first graphic novels. This time, I truly enjoyed it (as much as you can enjoy a horrifying story). I also read 4 other novels:
- Without Tess by Marcella Pixley, about a girl dealing with the death of her sister. Very much like Wintergirls or Lessons from a Dead Girl.
- Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King, about a boy who needs to find strength.
- I Am J by Cris Beam, about a transgendered teen boy fighting for his identity.
- Don't Stop Now by Julie Halpern, about two friends deciding if they are more than friends while they are on a road trip to find their "kidnapped" friend Penny.

Reviewed Last Week:

Just click on any picture above to go read the review

Upcoming Book Adventures:

Jen Says: I have specific goals for myself this week and they will be accomplished! I will read my bookstack of picture books that I have. I will finish The Boy Who Howled, The True Meaning of Smekday, Insurgent, and The Penderwicks on Gardam Street. I am also going to dive into Stephen King's On Writing. I have no idea how I'm going to make all of this happen, but I will! (Actually, my oldest son is going to a camp two days a week in the morning so that might give me some extra time! Hooray for camp!)

Kellee Says: Sitting right next to me is Blink and Caution by Tim Wynne-Jones which I will start (and maybe finish) today. I also plan on reading Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos and Brother/Sister by Sean Olin. I'll actually be driving to work 3 days this week, so I will continue listening to Silverwing by Kenneth Oppel. I also hope to jump into Amulet by Kazu Kibiushi and Captain Underpants (series) by Dav Pilkey- both series that I promised my students I would read. After that is Insurgent and Bitterblue which I am so excited for! We'll see how much I get through this week.