Last week I finished:
The Big Sea by Langston Hughes
I much prefer Hughes's poems to his prose writing - at least when it comes to his autobiographical writing - I haven't read his fiction work yet. It was interesting to read about his life, but I was hoping his writing would be a little less utilitarian given that he is a poet.
Picture books I read and enjoyed last week:
Bark and Tim: A True Story of Friendship by Audrey Glassman Vernick and Ellen Glassman Giardo
I love the story behind why Audrey and Ellen wanted to write this book: they found one of Tim Brown's paintings on eBay and were drawn to it. This is one of those gems of a picture book that is currently hard to find as I believe it is no longer in print but since I am an Audrey Vernick fangirl, I had to seek out one of her lesser-known titles. :)
Mutt Dog! by Stephen Michael King
A homeless, yet resourceful dog always manages to find a place to sleep for the night, but today's find just might have led him to his forever home. I can never resist a good dog story, and this one is definitely a heartwarming one.
Surfer Chick by Kristy Dempsey, illustrated by Henry Cole
Two birds of a feather -
a chick and her dad -
lived by the shore
in a radical pad.
And with those first few lines paired with the lively, colorful illustrations, I knew this book was going to be great fun. And I wasn't wrong. This would be a fantastic classroom read aloud.
Chu's Day by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Adam Rex
Adam Rex's illustrations in this book are so adorable they make you want to SQUEE! I didn't find the actual story particularly memorable, and the illustrations definitely do the heavy lifting here.
Graphic novel from last week:
Babymouse The Musical by Jennifer L. and Matthew Holm
By far my favorite Babymouse so far. I laughed throughout the whole thing. The musical theater references were absolutely brilliant, and while there is a great deal that kids might not pick up on, that what makes Babymouse one of those kid books with adult appeal too. It's kind of like Shrek that way: a cartoon movie made for kids but with some subtle adult humor thrown in to keep them entertained too.
Currently (still) reading:
Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal - the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin
Still really enjoying this book. I can definitely see why it was such a heavy award winner.
Currently listening:
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Wow. This book is definitely a game-changer. I'm fascinated by all the research on the science of introverts. I'll have more to say about this one once I'm finished with it.
Last week I reviewed:
Period 8 by Chris Crutcher
The Fellowship for Alien Detection by Kevin Emerson
Michael Symon's Carnivore
Other posts from last week:
Giveaway: Evermore and Blue Moon by Alyson Noel
Our school visited a mosque last week
What a nice assortment of books. I'll have to look for Surfer Chick as it sounds like fun. Bomb is somewhere on my TBR mountain but nowhere on my reading calendar yet. Come see my Monday Report. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to try to read Bomb this week too! I've heard such great things about it!
ReplyDeleteImpressive list, Surfer Chick looks like something my daughter would enjoy. Happy Reading.
ReplyDeleteOhh! Surfer Chick looks like great fun. Babymouse The Musical is one of my favorites too. And I agree, even if you aren't on the floor laughing at some of the references, it still has broad appeal. I CAN'T wait to start Bomb this week. My husband picked it up and finished it in one sitting. Definitely sounds like it is worthy of all it's shiny stickers!
ReplyDeleteI really want to read Bomb, but it'll probably be summer before that happens. :-\
ReplyDeleteI just got Period 8 back from a friend, and I'm planning to read that during Spring Break next week. Yay reading for a whole week!!
Surfer Chick and Michael Symon? That's a fantastic duo. Bomb is definitely a great read. Makes you wonder what will be written in 60 years about our time now. What are the things that we do not know?
ReplyDeleteI so want to read Bomb. I actually requested it from the library and then had such a huge TBR pile didn't get to it before it had to go back. Sigh. Some great picture books on your list. I really like Stephen Michael King - my favourite title from him is Leaf. Have you read it?
ReplyDeleteMy almost two-year-old loves Chu's Day. He loves to go 'aah.... ahh... ahh... no'!
ReplyDeleteI'm really intrigued by BOMB - I have a feeling it's one of those nonfiction days that my own eleven year old daughter would enjoy. I just borrowed The One and Only Ivan for her, I think she'd love it. Chu's Day looks particularly cute, will look for that one as well. Have a great reading week!
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