It's Monday! What are you reading? 4-25-22

 

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 attended my first in-person author event since the pandemic began and it was for 2022 Printz Award winner Angeline Boulley. Here is my recap about the amazing event.

I recently read and loved:

The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander

I still need to sit and process what an important book I just read. From Kwame's opening " Note from the Author" to the very last page, I was completely immersed in the story and could feel its gravitas as I was reading. The second I closed the book, I started looking into the history behind the story because I knew from reading it that there was so much I didn't actually know. And that is the mark of a great author of historical fiction: to reveal a moment of history through fiction that many people didn't know about and inspire them to learn more. I hope this book will also be a catalyst to move beyond Euro-centric history and compel readers, both kids and adults alike, to learn more about African history that is rarely or never taught in school in the U.S.

Abdul's Story by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, illustrated by Tiffany Rose

A beautiful book about a young boy who struggles with writing but loves telling stories and what an impact a visit from an author makes on how he views himself as a writer. I'm Terrified of Bath Time by Simon Rich, illustrated by Tom Toro You think kids are scared of bathtime? Wait till you hear from the bathtub. A humorous story with clever illustrations that is sure to put any kid's mind at ease who is afraid of bathtime by making them laugh out loud.  Anglerfish: Sea Devil of the Deep by Elaine M. Alexander, illustrated by Fiona Fogg A page-turning books with captivating illustrations all about the fascinating creature that patrols the midnight zone of the ocean with its bioluminescence. Currently reading: Now What? How to Move Forward When We're Divided (about Basically Everything) by Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers Currently reading with my ears: Suggested Reading by David Connis Purchasing books from any of the above Bookshop affiliate links support independent bookstores and gives me a small percentage of the sale.

Author Event Recap: Angeline Boulley

Last night, for the first time in over two years, I attended an in-person author event. I could have cried from happiness. 

And to have the author be the current Printz award winner, Angeline Boulley, made it that much better. Hearing Angeline speak tonight made me even all the more certain that Firekeeper’s Daughter was the perfect choice for the 2022 Printz Award. 

The first thing she told us that blew everyone's minds was that the inspiration for the story was actually a small kernel of something that happened in her own life... when she was in high school, she had a friend in another town that kept trying to set her up with this guy because she thought he was her perfect type. For some reason though, it never worked out that they could meet. A little while later, Angeline was like, "Oh, it's too bad you were never able to set me up with that guy," And her friend said, "Oh yeah... that wouldn't have worked out. We found out he was actually an FBI agent posing as a student." That moment always stayed with her and she always wondered, "What would have happened if I HAD been set up with that guy?" which led her to write Firekeeper's Daughter. 

Something a lot of people question about reading this book is the time period in which it is set: the early 2000s. She talked about three very specific reasons for why she set it in that time period: 

1) Meth was starting to explode across rural America

2) Casinos were starting to become an important business for native communities across Michigan

3) She needed GPS to exist but still be imprecise

Finally, I loved what she said about writing as an indigenous author, not for the white gaze, but as a way to honor her community. So for example, she pushed back on her editor's request to include a glossary in the back of the book and said that if she did her job as an author then the reader could pick up those meanings in context while also recognizing that we shouldn't always assume that the default reader is white. She also said something really profound that I had to write down in my notes app on my phone: 

I write to preserve my culture. 

I edit to protect it.

I think it is safe to say that she has both preserved and protected her culture in this beautiful book and I can't wait to read more of her work in the future. 

It's Monday! What are you reading? 4-4-22

 

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.

Here are a few fun book-themed TikToks I made recently:

@bibliophilebeth When a package from Scholastic arrives and the 2022 book you’ve been most excited to read is inside. 🤩🥰 #schoollibrarian #librariansoftiktok ♬ Little Things - Adrian Berenguer

@bibliophilebeth #GoSpring #schoollibrarian #librariansoftiktok #booktok ♬ Cooking - Oleg Kirilkov

Last week I reviewed:

The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin by Kip Wilson

I recently read and enjoyed:

This Book is Not For You! by Shannon Hale, illustrated by Tracy Subisak

A perfect book to start the discussion with students the absurdity of “girl books” and “boy books.” I’m grateful that Shannon Hale thought write a book that could be used as an opportunity to have a whole-class discussion on this topic since teachers and librarians are often having them on the side with individual students or small groups.

Violet and the Crumbs: A Gluten-Free Adventure by Abigail Rayner, illustrated by Molly Ruttan

Violet used to love going to parties but now that she can't eat gluten, she avoids them entirely. Her Celiac Disease makes navigating social situations difficult, but she knows in order to live with her Celiac she needs to learn how to advocate for herself. A simple but effective introduction for kids to Celiac Disease.

Show the World! by Angela Dalton, illustrated by Daria Peoples

A book that celebrates the need people have for a creative outlet. Would be a great introductory book to Genius Hour.

Patience, Patches! by Christy Mihaly, illustrated by Cheryl Murray

A sweet story told from the dog’s point of view about when a new baby joins the family. This type of story arc has been done many times before but what makes this book stand out is the same-sex couple who are the parents in the story along with the perfect emotional pacing. Currently reading:  The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander Currently reading with my ears: Thoughts and Prayers by Bryan Bliss