It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 1-31-22

 

It's Monday! What are you reading? Is a wonderful community of readers, teachers, and librarians. Hosted by Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers, participants share their reading adventures from the past week along with their reading plans for the week ahead.

My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.

I recently interviewed author John David Anderson for his new middle grade book, Riley's Ghost

I recently read and loved:

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

As always, Ruta Sepeys' attention to detail and her ability to shine a light on moments in history that so few know about is a special gift. In I Must Betray You, she shines a light on the gruesome communist dictatorship in Romania and its ultimate yet complicated end in 1989. Ear Worm! by Jo Knowles, illustrated by Galia Berstein A young worm has a song stuck in his head, which he learns is called an earworm. As he walks along, he meets some friends who are also experiencing their own earworms. This would be a fun book to read to students to have them discuss what earworms they have experienced and also how they get earworms out of their head. My Tree by Hope Lim, illustrated by Il Sung Na A young boy moves to a new country from Korea and the plum tree in his backyard not only reminds him of home, but is a source of refuge and imagination for him. Daddy Speaks Love by Leah Henderson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis Inspired by the words of George Floyd’s daughter Gianna that her “Daddy changed the world,” this book is a lyrical tribute to the loving way fathers change the world for their children. Because Claudette by Tracey Baptiste, illustrated by Tonya Engel Before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat at the front of the bus, there was 15-year old Claudette Colvin who did that very thing 9 months prior. This is her story, simplified for younger readers. The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael Lopez A stunning book that is hard to describe other than to say it just needs to be read to experience its brilliance and emotional resonance. It’s a book written and illustrated with love and gravitas that honors family, ancestry, and imagination. I’m already putting this on my Mock Caldecott list for 2023. Currently reading: Survive the Dome by Kosoko Jackson Currently reading with my ears: Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley Purchasing books from any of the above Bookshop affiliate links support independent bookstores and gives me a small percentage of the sale.