Teach Mentor Texts: It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 5/20/13

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!

Announcements:

Because Amelia Smiled Giveaway Winner

Tara

*Thank you Candlewick for sending us the Because Amelia Smiled suitcase

and the books to read and giveaway!*

Last Week's Book Adventures:

Jen Says: Last week was a very busy but very enjoyable week! In terms of reading, I read Deeper Reading by Kelly Gallagher. It jumped up in the line because it was due back at the library! I have been reading The Girl From Felony Bay and Book Love and I'm really having a great time with both. I have to pause and add ideas to my notes from Book Love with every page turn. It's wonderful and a book every middle or high school teacher should read. I'm excited to share my thoughts and to hear Kellee's thoughts when our post runs in June. I grabbed a Strawbery Shortcake comic that we picked up at Free Comic Book Day recently. I actually really loved it! I haven't seen the new Strawberry Shortcake shows but I loved her as a kid. I was delighted to see that the comic was really cute and one I would recommend to girl readers. I also read Ball by Mary Sullivan that I'll be reviewing tomorrow.
I didn't get a full week of book pics in...but three counts for something, right!? Hoping to be back on track this week!

Kellee Says: This week, novel-wise, was not very successful. I struggled A LOT with Catch and Release by Blythe Woolston, taking over a week to finish it. However, during this time, I was able to read a bunch of fun picture books, an early chapter book, and a children's novel-in-verse:

Campfire Crisis by Blake Hoena, a new twist on choose your own adventure
Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie by Julie Sternberg, loved to see a children's novel-in-verse since I love the format and this book did not disappoint
The Mighty LaLouche by Matthew Olshan, an awesome fictional biography
Faithful Elephants by Yukio Tsuchiya, a book I cannot wait to share with you this week!
Mitchell Goes Bowling by Hallie Durand, I love Mitchell!!!
Life Doesn't Frighten Me by Maya Angelou, a poetry picture book with amazing art work
That is Not a Good Idea! by Mo Willems, laughed out loud at the Scholastic Warehouse Sale- loved it!
One Love by Cedella Marley, wish I could have listened to the song while reading, but either way was a great message and interpretation of Bob Marley's song

Reviewed Last Week:

Review and Author's Guest Post

Just click on any picture above to go read the review

Upcoming Book Adventures:

Jen Says: I've been thinking a lot about my characters for the book I want to draft for Teachers Write this summer so I spent a lot of time listening to music on my commute last week, believe it or not. It's so strange for me but has also been some great thinking time. I'm in the middle of Quiet on audio, so I'll return to that now. I plan to finish Book Love and The Girl From Felony Bay I also have a gazillion other book to read it seems so we'll see if I get to anything else!

Kellee Says: This week caught me off guard (the end of the year is going by so quickly), so I am currently reading Bananas in my Ears and The Girl From Felony Bay so I can review them this week. After that I will pick up Irises by Francisco X. Stork as well as (hopefully) a pile of picture books I requested from the library.