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.

Hopefully everyone had a fun and restful holiday break. It's so wonderful to get together with family and friends to celebrate Christmas and the New Year. I spent some time reading, but I spent even more time visiting, eating, watching holiday movies, and just relaxing. Here's what I've been reading lately: 

Classic Novels

Inspired by last year's PBS program The Gread American Read, I've decided to spend more time reading some of these classic novels that I have shelved in my basement and collecting in my Kindle. Some I have read before, and some are brand new to me. It's fun to get lost in these novels, and since many are readily available at the library and free/cheap to purchase for Kindle, it's a great way to give your bank account a chance to recover from the holidays!

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 

I found a copy of this in my basement, I think it belongs to my husband. Anyway, I decided to give it a read and I was just blown away by how relevant the book is to today's society. It could be a current fiction novel, especially with everyone glued to their phones. Social media, selfies, texting, etc. has replaced most reading that requires deep thinking. Social isolation and the drive to make everything fun and happy is the same as it was in Guy Montag's community. This book has reminded me why I love reading!

Middle Grade Fiction

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

I had the opportunity to read a NetGalley digital ARC of this title in exchange for a review. This middle grade road trip novel tells the story of twelve-year-old Coyote Sunrise and her father, Rodeo, who spend their days roaming around the country on a refurbished school bus they named Yager. Five years ago, Coyote’s mother and two sisters died in a tragic accident leaving Coyote and Rodeo reeling and unable to cope with the pain of the loss. So, the two climbed aboard the school bus, made it their home, and travelled anywhere they wanted, so long as it wasn’t anywhere near their painful memories.

But when Coyote learns that the park in her hometown is about to be torn apart to make room for a new development, she needs to get her dad to get them there quickly in order for her to find and salvage a memory box she and her mother and sisters buried several days before they died.
On the way there, the two take on several different passengers, each with compelling reasons they need to be on this trip. As they make their way across the country, Coyote and Rodeo learn how to face their grief and they also learn that running away and trying to forget is not the answer.

The author does a great job of capturing the sounds, smells, sights, and feelings that make the scenes feel real in this book. Middle grade readers will be able to climb aboard this bus, taste the Slushees, feel the soft fur of the kitten Coyote adopts, and see the sights of the road zooming past the window. Suspense is built as Coyote pushes her dad to make it to Washington in time for her to save her memory box with lots of roadblocks along the way.

This book would be appropriate for middle grade readers grades six and up. There is some mature language that you might want to consider if you have readers that are younger or are sensitive to that.

Picture Books

The Night of Las Posadas by Tomie dePaola 

Young readers will enjoy learning about the celebration of Las Posadas as celebrated in Santa Fe. Sister Angie has been involved in this procession for many years and this year she has arranged for her niece, Lupe, and her husband to portray Mary and Joseph and their search for shelter on the night of Jesus' birth. It's a big honor to play the part of Mary and Joseph and they have been rehearsing their parts for weeks. But when Sister Angie comes down with the flu on Christmas Eve and Lupe and her husband are stuck in a snowstorm it looks like the celebration is going to be a disaster. This is a lovely story with terrific illustrations showing a Christmas miracle. Definitely a nice read aloud choice during the days leading up to Christmas.

An Angel Just Like Me by Mary Hoffman (Illustrations), Cornelius Van Wright (Illustrations), Ying-Hwa Hu (Illustrations)

This book is a terrific story to share with young readers to help build relationship and empathy. Tyler's family is decorating their home for the holidays and realize that they need to replace their Christmas tree angel. Tyler starts to wonder why all of the angels look like girls and why they are always pink. He wants to find a black angel that looks like him. After searching all of the stores, he becomes discouraged that the family will have to settle for a gold star for the top of the tree. On Christmas morning, he receives a special gift that allows him to see that angels can look like him. The positive story and the beautifully rendered illustrations make this book a treat to share with young readers during the holiday season.

The Snow Speaks by Nancy White Carlstrom 

This book uses lyrical, sensory language and beautiful illustrations to celebrate the beginning of winter. The children in the book watch expectantly out the window, bundle up in their warmest clothes, and head outside to enjoy the magic of snow. I love how the author captures the way the snow sounds and the way it feels: "When words freeze in the thin, brittle air and nostrils stick together, The snow speaks in squeaks and crunches under the children's feet. Cold Cold Cold." This could be a terrific mentor text for young writers trying to describe the season.

Oh Snow by Monica Mayper, June Otani (Illustrator) 

Simple to read picture book about a young boy enjoying a snowy day. Might be good for younger children/beginning readers.

The Jacket I Wear in the Snow by Shirley Neitzel, Nancy Winslow Parker 

Anybody that’s ever bundled up to go outside and play in the snow knows that while warmth is important, sometimes you can overdo it and become very uncomfortable. The narrator of this cute, rhyming cumulative tale has on so many clothes that are too stiff, wrinkled, or caught up in the zipper that finally tears bring help from Mother. Simple text for beginning readers and full-color artwork created with watercolor paints, colored pencils and a black pen make this a fun, wintertime book to have on the primary bookshelf.

The Mitten: An Old Ukrainian Folktale by Alvin Tresselt, Yaroslava (Illustrator) 

This retelling of a traditional story of how a boy's lost mitten becomes shelter from the cold for a bunch of forest animals would be interesting to compare to the Jan Brett version of this story. The illustrations are lovely, but use a limited palette compared to the Brett's version. The story itself is awesome as it highlights the cooperation and sharing of these creatures; there's always room for one more... 

The Mitten by Jan Brett 

I’ve shared this book with children many times throughout the years. It’s always been a favorite and I love the messages of kindness and “making room for one more”. This book could generate some great discussions about how we can serve our neighbors in need. The boy has a special relationship with his grandmother and I think that many children can relate to that. The illustrations, which capture the Ukrainian costumes and architecture so well, are gorgeous and another reason Jan Brett’s books are so popular.