It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a weekly blog hop hosted by Kellee and Ricki of Unleashing Readers. The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.
Head over to Unleashing Readers to join the link up and share your reads from this week!
I love May! It’s my month! Anniversary, Birthday, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day…lots of time to read! This week I continue to savor titles and I added a few new graphic novels to the mix, since they will be “Battle” books next school year. It’s Monday! What are YOU reading?
Invisible tells the story of five students at Conrad Middle School who are called to the principal’s office regarding their actions that led up to April 18. The principal and community member conducting the interview assume that the students don’t speak much English, just because of their names and little-known backgrounds. These students are otherwise invisible at school.
As the interview progresses, the story reveals how these students met — as community service patrons working in the school cafeteria, gathering hours towards graduation. They don’t know each other. They assume the stereotypes one would expect in school: the brain, the jock, the tough one, the rich one, and the loner (“The Breakfast Club” reference). To the adults, they are just “the Spanish-speaking kids.” They perform their tasks without much thought of community, until they meet someone outside the school fence. Things advance quickly, and the students have to learn about each other and band together as the community service members they are. Can they be unexpected upstanding citizens, even as middle schoolers? “How can you be yourself when no one sees the real you?”
Read this book to find out more about being invisible and how being seen as your true self is the greatest reward.
The text includes English and Spanish, a welcome inclusion in this engaging graphic novel by Christina Diaz Gonzalez and Gabriela Epstein. Recommended for ages 10 and up. You’re going to want to add this title to your middle school shelves in the fall. Publishing August 2022 by Scholastic Graphix. Thanks to the author and publisher for the early read.
Reading…continued…I will finish up the graphic novels from last week — Superman Smashes the Klan, The Oracle Code, and Doodleville — and add a new one to this week’s list, Twins (by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright). I’m so happy my indie bookstore, Brain Lair Books, had a copy for me.
Then I will start a new adventure. It will take me a while, but I’m up for the challenge. Barack Obama’s story, A Promised Land. Seven hundred, six pages plus a 45-page index. My goal is to have it finished by December 31st.
It’s MONDAY! What are YOU reading?
IMWAYR is a weekly blog hop with kid lit co-hosts Jennifer from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers. The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. It’s a great way to share what you’re reading and get recommendations from others. We encourage you to write your own post sharing what you’re reading, link up, leave a comment, and support other IMWAYR bloggers by visiting and commenting on at least three of the other linked blogs each week.
I pulled a little collection of graphic novels out this week because we have three of them in our Battle of the Books stack this year and because Junior Library Guild delivered more with our school subscription last week. They will keep me busy, trying to keep up with the students and promoting the message, “Graphic novels are real reading!” Try some of these in your own reading life.
Snapdragon by Kat Leyh – Snapdragon lives in a town with her mom…and a witch neighbor. Jacks is scary, lives alone in a dark house, and sells skeletons from roadkill on the internet. When Snapdragon needs a favor, Jacks is the only one left to ask for help, so the two become companions, whether Jacks likes it or not. There are mysterious happenings and surprising relationships, and Snap wants to know what it all means, and how she is involved with the bigger picture of this little town.
This graphic novel comes complete with suspense and awe, and a cute little dog pal, to boot. Readers will take Snap in as a friend, and feel a family connection in the end.
Recommended for middle schoolers and up.
Beetle and the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne – Middle school students are going to love Beetle and her cute ghost-BFF, Blob Ghost. This graphic novel is perfect for independent reading time and focuses on friendships (new and old), family, and finding a way to stand up for yourself in times of trouble.
Beetle is a 12-year-old goblin-witch who is homeschooled by Gran, the Town Witch. She’s not very good at her lessons: she can’t fly a broom well and doesn’t know how to make potions. Beetle would rather dream about becoming a sorceress and hang out at the mall with Blob Ghost. But the mall is being sold, and will be demolished in one week under the control of the new owner, Marla Hollowbone, a former resident and Gran’s nemesis.
Can Beetle and her old friend Kat (Ms. Hollowbone’s niece) find a way to help Blob Ghost escape the mall and be free? Will Kat find a way to stand up to her power-hungry aunt? Will the town ever be the same?
Next up…Superman Smashes the Clan by Gene Luen Yang, with art by Gurihiru.
Doodleville by Chad Sell. Cardboard Kingdom by Mr. Sell was such a hit, we had to get this one into the library! I haven’t read it yet, but I will this week.
The Oracle Code by Marieke Nijkamp and illustrated by Manuel Preitano (DC Comics, 2020)
It’s MONDAY! What are YOU reading?
IMWAYR is a weekly blog hop with kid lit co-hosts Jennifer from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers. The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. It’s a great way to share what you’re reading and get recommendations from others. We encourage you to write your own post sharing what you’re reading, link up, leave a comment, and support other IMWAYR bloggers by visiting and commenting on at least three of the other linked blogs each week.
I’m finally back on track. This week is Picture Book Week on Facebook Live, sponsored by Kwame Alexander and friends. I’m excited to hear all the read alouds from authors this week. Today was a lively reading by Sherri Duskey Rinker. Her new book, How to Put an Octopus to Bed, is due in the fall. It reminds me of putting my wiggly kids to bed when they were young. Cute!
I have a bunch of picture books to read this week. While I was stacking my TBR pile, I noticed that many of the covers are blue and green. I’ll start with the “green cover books” today.
I finished reading Dragon Hoops and Dictionary for a Better World. Perfect books for this quarantine, one graphic novel and one colorful and interesting ABC book, I read them each in one sitting. (That’s saying something for me, the slow reader.)
Have a great week! Stay safe!
It’s Monday! What Are YOU Reading?
This meme is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. 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!
Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and Kathryn decided to give “It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?” a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit – join us! We love this meme and think you will, too. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.
It’s another big week for reading! Fall Reading is Fabulous this year!
I decided to focus on graphic novels this week, since they are getting a hit from teachers across the country (again). Reminder: READING GRAPHIC NOVELS IS READING! These are some good stories, too, so let the kids read! (Teachers, you can read them, too!) I also HAD to have Jacqueline Woodson’s new book, even though it’s an adult read. (Yes, sometimes I read adult books, especially when my author friends write them.)
It’s Monday! What are YOU reading?
It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. 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!
Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and Kathryn decided to give “It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?” a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit – join us! We love this meme and think you will, too. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.
With the little time that I have this week, I’m reading…
The New Kid by Jerry Craft
I opened this one just now. It’s a graphic novel, so my middle schoolers will love it, I’m sure. I will use this book to add to my “Fabulous First Lines” list of titles: “This is how I feel every single day of my life, like I’m falling without a parachute. I mean, I’m not really falling. That’s called a metaphor. I learned about them in English.” An English teacher’s dream — students who use the knowledge! The New Kid is due out February, 2019.
Inkling by Kenneth Oppel
I love the cover! I haven’t started yet, but I liked the jacket description: “Inkling is funny and fizzy and brimming with adventure…”
It’s Monday! What are YOU reading?
It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 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!
Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and Jen Vincent, at Teach Mentor Texts decided to give It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, anything in the world of kidlit – join us! We love this meme and think you will, too. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.
What do you get when you cross well-known middle grade graphic novel writers and school? Comics Squad! I had fun recommending Comics Squad: Lunch! today when a student had finished (and couldn’t find another-because-they’re-always-checked-out-of-the-library) Diary of a Wimpy Kid.Comics Squad series books are collections of stories and drawings of already-famous characters, written by already-famous authors — in compact, colorful books, and they are FUN to read! Right up my alley — and my middle graders’.
Thank you to Jennifer L. Holm, Matthew Holm, Jarrett Krosoczka, Cece Bell, Nathan Hale, Jason Shiga, Cecil Castellucci and Sara Varon, Peanuts, and Jeffrey Brown for creating this particular edition (Lunch!) of comics for readers. This librarian is spreading the book love!
Reading Teacher Writes 
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