It's Monday! What are you reading? 5-16-22

 

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's a recent TikTok I made of middle grade books to put on your radar:

@bibliophilebeth #booktok #middlegrade #librariansoftiktok #schoollibrarian ♬ Pirates Of The Caribbean - Main Theme - He's A Pirate - Geek Music

I recently read and loved:

We Sang You Home by Richard Van Camp, illustrated by Julie Flett

While I am not a parent, even this book made me emotional imagining reading this to my own child. The poetic text is made even more beautiful with the gentle illustrations. A great book to gift to new parents.

See You Soon by Mariame Kabe, illustrated by Bianca Diaz

Queenie must spend the next two years with her grandmother while her mother is in jail. See You Soon is a picture book that asks adult and kid readers alike to emotionally invest in a family story that often doesn't get told in the pages of a children's book. This book is a beautiful testament to the love shown in all kinds of families, particularly the ones that are often othered by those who are part of a "traditional" middle class family who frequently see their stories told in the pages of books.

Pair this with Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Pena and use it as a reading ladder to Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka.

To Change a Planet by Christina Soontornvat, illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell

Christina Soontornvat has written a picture book that addresses climate change both with urgency and hope. The economy of language in this book is also worth noting... there are no superfluous words. Everything is so carefully placed and precise without sounding like it's trying too hard. Currently reading: Take More Vacations: How to Search Better, Book Cheaper, and Travel the World by Scott Keyes Currently reading with my ears: Notorious by Gordon Korman