Happy Memorial Day! Long weekends mean more time for reading!
Last week I reviewed:
The Soccer Fence by Phil Bildner
I finished reading:
The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw by Christopher Healy
A bit longer than I would have liked and it was difficult to keep track of all the characters, but otherwise a great conclusion to this hilarious trilogy.
I also finished reading with my ears:
Moon Over Manifest by Claire Vanderpool
Liked it. Didn't love it. Will most likely have forgotten most of it in a few days. Jenna Lamia was a perfect fit to narrate the audiobook. She definitely made me enjoy the book more than if I had read it on my own.
Picture books I really enjoyed last week:
The Night Riders by Matt Furie
Odd and wonderful at the same time. A frog and a rat go on a bike ride at night and meet many strange, fantastical creatures along the way. A wordless picture book perfect for middle grade readers.
Duck, Duck, Moose! by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, illustrated by Noah Z. Jones
Fans of Z is for Moose will love this picture book about a big galoot of a moose who has trouble not (accidentally) destroying everything in his wake. But that's OK. The ducks love him anyway. This is one of those books that you like more and more as time goes on.
The Girl and the Bicycle by Mark Pett
I loved this one even more than The Boy and the Airplane. It's amazing how much emotion can be conveyed with no words at all. I especially love that the airplane even makes a cameo appearance in this story.
Currently reading:
Nerd Camp by Elissa Brent Weissman
Currently reading with my ears:
The Selection by Kiera Cass
Also, last week on my teaching blog I posted:
Existentialism on a Weeknight
May 2014 #nctechat Storify on Summer Reading
I would really like to hear the audio version of The Selection. I wonder who the narrator is. While I really loved the story of Moon Over Manifest, I did not like the audio version. It all comes down to whether the narrator embodies the spirit and tone of a story.
ReplyDeleteThe audio of The Selection isn't that great. The narrator sounds like a mildly more animated version of Siri. She's very robotic.
DeleteI enjoyed Moon Over Manifest more than I thought I would, but read it that year of the award, so you're right, don't remember much about it now. Duck, Duck, Moose looks fun for the young ones. What is it with moose and bears-lots to love about them, I guess. Have a good day today!
ReplyDeleteSome new pictures books here that I haven't heard about...Duck, Duck, Moose looks adorable. I loved Moon Over Manifest but haven't heard the audio version. I've heard a lot from teen readers about The Selection...one student reader said "Think The Bachelor meets The Hunger Games." Funny comparison!
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
Nerd Camp looks like a fun book. I will have to add it to the TBR list. I enjoyed the first Hero's Guide book but have not read the others. I am sure they are hilarious. Have a great reading week!
ReplyDeleteGreat reading week! I could never get through the book or audiobook for Moon Over Manifest. It just wasn't working for me. I have heard good things about The Selection. I think I downloaded the e-book when it was on sale. Need to read it. The Night Riders is definitely a bit odd but so are all of the books done by that publisher.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to hear what you think about Nerd Camp. I just heard about that book when the second one came out! The Moose book looks funny, especially since I am a big fan of Z is for Moose! I have The Girl and the Bicycle, just need to get to it! Hope you're having a great Monday!
ReplyDeleteI'm reading Nerd Camp right now too! Fun, quick read. Z Is for Moose is one of my all-time favorite picture books and certainly my favorite alphabet book. I will have to find Duck Duck Moose. I've seen the Mark Pett book featured in several Monday posts now, and it's one I'm eager to read.
ReplyDeleteI have heard such wonderful things about The Girl and the Bicycle. It seems like this book and The Boy and the Airplane are very powerful. I put in a request for my library to get a copy. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of "reading with my ears" so I'm delighted to see yours here. I have Moon Over Manifest on my to reads list so I'll have to see if I can get it as an audiobook.
ReplyDeleteI have The Nightriders. Such an interesting book. I am really looking forward to finding The Girl and the Bicycle - especially hearing you say you like it more than The Boy and the Airplane which I adored.
ReplyDeleteI've been seeing The Girl and the Bicycle for quite awhile now, and I definitely am intrigued. I haven't read The Nightriders yet, sounds like a real classic. I enjoyed reading Moon Over Manifest a few years back - I love its langourous quality (is that how it's spelled?) - it has its own delicious pace, which I can understand might be too slow for some, but I like how it all came together in the end. You're right though in noting that it's a slightly-forgettable story.
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