Monday, March 2, 2015

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 3/2/15


It's Monday! What are you reading? was started by Sheila at Book Journey and was adapted for children's books from picture books through YA by Jen of Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee of Unleashing Readers. You can visit either site for a round up of blogs sharing their weekly readings and thoughts or search Twitter for #IMWAYR.


Last Week's Posts


      Picture Books


      Deep in the Sahara (2013) by Kelly Cunnane and illustrated by Hoda Hadadi. Deep in the Sahara is an immersive picture book told in second person, placing you, the reader, as young Lalla, a Muslim girl living in Mauritania in west Africa. During the course of the book, Lalla explores why she wants to wear the malafa like her mother and relatives. Read the full review here.


      The Red Bicycle: the extraordinary story of one ordinary bicycle (2015, March 1st) by Jude Isabella and illustrated by Simone Shin. The Red Bicycle is a powerful story of the life of one red bicycle and its multiple reincarnations through donation. The story traces the bicycle from its initial purchase by a young boy in North America (Canada) to a young girl in Africa (Burkina Faso) to a young hospital employee (also in Burkina Faso) and beyond. This is a great story for sharing with kids the power of one person (or one bike) to make a difference. Read the full review here.


      Lin Yi's Lantern: a Moon Festival tale (2009) by Brenda Williams and illustrated by Benjamin Lacombe. The luminous book tells the story of young Lin Yi who is running errands for his mother before the Moon Festival. A lovely tale of the power of thinking of others ahead of ourselves. The book also includes The Legend of the Moon Fairy, directions on making a Chinese lantern, and a note on market life in China. The only oversight is that there is no specific information about the moon festival itself. (H/T Comment from Erika Grediaga of Mami Tales.)


      Froodle (2014) by Antoinette Portis. This fun picture book is a great twist on the 'sounds animals make' trope. Little Brown Bird decided she wanted to say something other than Peep. When her silliness begins to spread, crow doesn't know how to take it. This is an entertaining way of discussing with students the importance of being yourself - but also celebrating the uniqueness of others. (H/T Kathy from Take the Write Road.)


      Imogene's Last Stand (2009) by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. Imogene spouts off historic quotations in her efforts to save her local historical society. I love the idea about a picture book teaching kids about the importance of historical preservation and historical societies, but I wish this book didn't wrap up with such an absurd deus ex machina. (H/T Christie of Write Wild.)


      Waiting Is Not Easy! (2014) by Mo Willems (A Geisel Honor Book). My third graders are participating in March Book Madness, kicking off this week. The bracket pits 16 books from 2014 against 16 books from before 2014 in a March Madness style bracketology. My kids were generally well-versed in the 2014 books from our Mock Caldecott discussions, but I needed to round up a few stragglers like this one. This charming addition to the Elephant and Piggy books leaves poor Elephant anxious as soon as he hears about a surprise to come, a feeling I think that we have all shared at one time or another.

      Award-Winning Books Reading Challenge update: 10 books, 2 dedicated posts (Tap Tap Boom Boom)

      Dive into Diversity Challenge update: 32 books, 16 dedicated posts (Deep in the Sahara and The Red Bicycle)

      Happy Reading!

      6 comments:

      1. All these books look like fun! I am intrigued by The Red Bicycle. It's amazing to think how far one act or one purchase in this case can go.

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        1. Thanks, Kay. Absolutely. I think so many of our kids are gung-ho about the idea of reusing, but a practical example is really meaningful.

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      2. Thanks for the reminder about March Book Madness. I need to talk this up in Children's Lit class tomorrow!

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        1. I had the kids decide their brackets yesterday, and it was some of the best book conversations we've had all year! Everyone had books they just could not live without on the list. As it gets narrowed down, I'll probably have them do some more persuasive writing and try to convince each other.

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      3. I loved Deep in the Sahara! The Red Bicycle is in my shopping cart. I think I'll add Froodle. I hope to find money soon!

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        1. Glad to hear that you loved Deep in the Sahara, Cheriee! Does your library not have Froodle? It's a bit quick and silly but also quite enjoyable.

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