It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey as a way to share what you have read and/or reviewed in the past week. It's also a terrific way to find out what other people are reading.

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye of Unleashing Readers have given this meme a children's literature focus: picture books, middle grade novels, etc. They "encourage everyone who participates to support the blogging community by visiting the other bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

Here in central Ohio, we're still in the warm part of fall. The leaves are starting to turn to pretty autumn colors, but the temperatures are still in the 70s and 80s. We have perfect weather for going outside, walking, and enjoying the look of fall. I'm trying to get out as much as I can, before it all turns cold and nasty. There are lots of great opportunities to take your favorite books outside and enjoy some great reading weather! Here's what I've been reading this past week:

Middle Grade Fiction

The Perfect Score by Rob Buyea

I had the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book through my #BookRelays team on Twitter. I think this is a terrific book for all teachers to read as it takes a critical look at our high stakes testing culture from the point of view of five different students at Lakeview Middle School. The narrative starts at the beginning of sixth grade for these students. They’re dealing with the stress of starting Middle School, along with troubles at home, new teachers, bullying, and new teachers. As the pressures build for these kids, more and more of the only things that they like about school are being taken away from them: recess, read aloud time, independent/choice reading time, and after-school activities. Everyone involved (students, teachers, administrators) needs to have these kids ace their state test. So, the temptation to cheat is huge. I think that this book could generate some terrific discussions in classrooms about assessments, treating others with kindness, and what motivates kids to do their best. I love the character development in this book and the way the storylines connect to each other.

Georgia Rules by Nanci Turner Steveson

An advanced copy of this middle grade novel was shared with my #BookReads Twitter group, and I’m so excited that I finally had my turn to read it. I loved this book, because it creates such a beautiful portrait of what a family really is, and all the wonderful things that it can be. And I love that the definition doesn’t stop with the last page of the story, but it leaves it clear that the love of a family has no limits. The book shares with readers an inclusive and expansive notion of family and belonging, and it does so with heart and gusto!

The book also does this with great storytelling. The book opens on the day that everything changes for the main character, Maggie. Maggie, an adolescent girl from Georgia, finds out that she has inherited a farm in Vermont from her recently deceased father. Maggie’s mom has decided that the two of them are going to leave the big city of Atlanta and move to a small, rural community that is so far away from everything Maggie has ever known. The plan is that the two of them will live on the farm for one year, after which, they will be free to sell the place and move wherever they wish to go.

This book shows the development of the characters, plot, and theme through a study in contrasts. There is a world of difference between the big, Southern city of Atlanta and the small town where the farm is located. There is also a big difference in the conservative, judgmental attitude towards people that Maggie’s mother represents and the welcoming and accepting nature of the Parker family.

The Parker family consists of two moms and six kids. The family was built through adoptions and fostering kids. The family is loud, rambunctious, and not the least bit self-conscious. But there always seems to be plenty of room at the table and plenty of love to go around for anyone who stops by. It is through Maggie’s growing friendship with this family and others in the town that she comes to know who her father really was, and why this is exactly where she belongs. But she has a lot of work to do to convince her mother that this is the place to stay. This book would go along great with other inclusive family stories like The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser, The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy, and One For the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt.

Picture Books

Nativity by Cynthia Rylant

For many families, sharing the Nativity story is a special part of their holiday season. This beautifully illustrated picture book would be a wonderful way to carry on that tradition. The text of the book was adapted from chapter five of the book of Matthew and from chapters two and six of the book of Luke from the King James Version of the Holy Bible. The illustrations for this book were rendered beautifully in acrylic paints on watercolor paper.

Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library by Carole Boston Weatherford, Eric Velasquez (Illustrator)

This fascinating and beautifully illustrated picture book uses poetry to share the story of Arturo Schomburg. Schomburg grew up in Puerto Rico during the late nineteenth century, being told by teachers that he had no history. When he grew up and came to New York, he read and studied as much history as he could. He collected thousands of books that shared the achievements of people of African descent. This book is itself a treasure of African American history and would be a wonderful resource to have in any classroom library.

Sergeant Reckless: The True Story of the Little Horse Who Became a Hero by Patricia McCormick, Iacopo Bruno (Illustrations)

This fascinating nonfiction picture book is sure to please the animal lovers in the classrooms and libraries where it is shared. Sergeant Reckless was an abandoned mare found by American marines during the Korean War. The horse was trained to carry heavy loads of ammunition up a hill to a large cannon. But before long, this lovable horse became more than just a work animal. She ate her way into the tents and hearts of everyone in the camp. This book uses engaging, narrative text and beautiful drawings to tell the story.

This Is a Good Story by Adam Lehrhaupt, Magali Le Huche (Illustrations)

Here’s a fun picture book to use as a way to teach about the parts of a story. With colorful, childlike drawings and humorous text, the narrator of the text directs the writer/illustrator to create a “good story” with a hero and a heroine and a conflict. From there, the book seems to take on a life of its own. This could serve as a good mentor text to help young writers develop their own good stories.

Sarabella's Thinking Cap by Judy Schachner

I love this picture book because I, and many others, can relate to Sarabella’s wandering mind. Sarabella is constantly thinking and wondering and dreaming. One thought leads to another, and another, until the thoughts are a million miles away from where they’re supposed to be. This can especially tough for kids in school, where so much of the day requires focus on what teachers are telling them to be thinking about. The adults in this book are caring and supportive, and help Sarabella nurture her creative thoughts, but still trying to get her to concentrate on her work. The artwork, rendered in acrylics, gouache, collage, and mixed media, uses rich, warm textures and details to invite readers in to explore the world of Sarabella’s thoughts. In doing so, I found so many of the items and ideas in her head matched my own! I could spend hours pouring over the illustrations and thinking about the things in them! This could be an awesome mentor text to help kids develop their own thinking caps!

Warts and All: A Book of Unconditional Love by Lori Haskins Houran, Sydney Hanson (Illustrations)

This is such a sweet picture book that would be terrific to share with young children at bedtime. The book celebrates unconditional love by letting the reader know that he or she is loved all the time, no matter what. They show adorable, cuddly animals with those big “Precious Moments”-like eyes that always tug at my heart!  

 Pumpkin Moonshine by Tasha Tudor

Originally written in 1938, the story and the illustrations may be a bit old fashioned, but I think it’s still a cute picture book to share with young children. Getting ready for Halloween decorating, Sylvie Ann climbs the hill to pick a pumpkin in the field. The pumpkin is so big, she has to roll it on its side. The pumpkin gets away from her and causes mayhem in the barnyard. It would be fun to use as a way to talk about the sequence of events in stories and cause and effect relationships. It would also be a fun part of a seasonal book collection in the classroom library.