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.

Now that it's October, fall seems to be getting well under way. Here in central Ohio, the weather is up and down and all over the place. One day it's hot and you're wearing shorts and cranking up the AC, and the next day it's cold, wet, and gray and you're tempted to put the furnace on. Getting my closet in seasonal order is impossible because you can never tell what clothes you're going to want to wear. This week I have continued to look at picture books that celebrate the fall season. Hopefully some of them are helpful if you're looking for books to share with children. Here's what I've been reading this past week:

Dreamers by Yuyi Morales

This beautifully illustrated picture book celebrates the author's journey from Mexico to the United States and the important role libraries and books had in making the author feel at home in a strange place. The author worked very hard to find a way to fit in, learning a different language and becoming accustomed to a different culture. When she discovered libraries and the treasures that they held, a whole new world was opened for her. The colorful collage illustrations are awesome and show many familiar and favorite book covers. The author also includes a list of her favorite books at the back for anyone who wants to check them out.

Grow Up, David! by David Shannon 

The naughty little boy that young readers love from the award-winning David series is back. While David and his brother's antics may have grown-up readers cringing, the back and forth between siblings will have kids giggling. Anyone with a brother or sister will recognize themselves in this book, and while there is love in the end, there are some pretty brutal moments that most kids experience at some point. 

Rice from Heaven by Tina M. Cho

North Korea has been in the news a lot lately as the leaders of the United States and South Korea have been engaged in talks with Kim Jong-un to eliminate that country's nuclear weapons. The tension between these countries goes back to World War II and the Korean War. This picture book is based on a true story of South Koreans who looked beyond the harsh rhetoric and propaganda of the politicians to the heartbreaking stories of the hunger of the people of North Korea. And while children might wonder what can be done when you hear about the great needs of these people, this story provides hope as they read about activists filling bags full of rice, attaching them to balloons, and sending them over the border into North Korea. This fascinating picture book would be a good way to talk about the current situation in that part of the world, and could also lead to a broader discussion about helping our neighbors, whether they're near by or far away.

One Leaf, Two Leaves, Count with Me! by John Micklos Jr., Clive McFarland (Illustrations) 

This fun picture book uses brightly colored illustrations and rhyming text to engage kids in counting forward and backward through the changing seasons. As spring arrives, young readers are invited to count the budding leaves and then when summer is over they are again encouraged to count backwards as the leaves disappear. This would be a good concept book to share during the fall season and again in the spring.

Fall Mixed Up by Bob Raczka, Chad Cameron (Illustrator) 

This funny picture book using rhyming text and crazy illustrations to help young readers develop critical thinking skills. The rhyme celebrates all the pleasures of the fall season, but there are so many mistakes. Young readers are invited to find them all. This could be a good mentor text for young writers trying to make their own crazy, mixed up narratives.

Pumpkin Trouble by Jan Thomas 

Our favorite characters from Jan Thomas' barnyard books are back for a fun time getting ready for Halloween. Duck is making a jack o'lantern to surprise his friends, Pig and Mouse. Duck runs into a bit of trouble and that creates a crazy adventure for everyone. Young readers will giggle as they read to find out how Duck is going to get out of his jam. The brightly colored, humorous illustrations along with the simple text make this a great picture book to share with younger children in the weeks leading up to Halloween.

The Very Best Pumpkin by Mark Kimball Moulton, Karen Hillard Good (Illustrator) 

This is a sweet picture book that tells the story of boy named Peter who lives on a farm with his grandparents. Peter spends all summer tending to the growing pumpkins, giving extra special attention to one little pumpkin that is growing farther away from the rest. Another family moves into the house next door, and Meg spends her summer watching Peter tend to his crop of pumpkins. Young readers will appreciate Peter and Meg's blossoming friendship and also come away with some great tips for growing their own pumpkins. This would be a good book to share with kids in the fall.

The Runaway Pumpkin by Kevin Lewis, S.D. Schindler (Illustrator) 

Humorous illustrations using warm, autumn colors and rhythmic, rhyming text will have young readers giggling at the enormous pumpkin that gets away from the boys that are trying to get it home on Halloween. As the pumpkin rolls down the hill causing all sorts of mayhem, everyone that sees it has different pumpkin treats in mind once they can get ahold of it. This would be a fun one to share with kids during the weeks leading up to Halloween.