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.

I don't know about you, but I've had enough of winter. January has seemed like such a long month. And this past week with the record-breaking polar vortex and then six inches of snow, I'm really glad that Buckeye Chuck, our local groundhog, did not see his shadow! You know the weather is awful when your local library has to shut down because of the snow emergency. Any, I have a pretty good supply of books and a cozy spot on the sofa. Hope you're staying warm and plenty to read as well! Here's what I've been reading this past week:

Middle Grade Fantasy

Prince Caspian - Book 2 in the Chronicles of Narnia (The Chronicles of Narnia (Publication Order) #2) by C.S. Lewis 

I really enjoyed The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (the 1st book of the Chronicles of Narnia) so I was glad to finally get around to reading this second book in the series. I know there's some controversy as to the order in which one should read this series, and I went with my preference to read the books in the order that they were published instead of the story's timeline. The events in this book take place one year after Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy had their first adventure in Narnia by way of a wardrobe closet. Now they are summoned in a strange way as they are waiting at a train station to return to school. As they arrive in this faraway land, it becomes clear that they have returned to Narnia, and 1,300 years have passed since they reigned as kings and queens. There is all sorts of trouble as Prince Caspian and his friends battle the Telmarines to determine who shall be the ruler. The story is mysterious and exciting as the brothers and sisters make their way around this land they once ruled and reunite with Aslan, the mighty lion. I think fans of the first book will enjoy the continuation of the story. This book is a good one for those readers who enjoy fantasy stories with sword battles and magical creatures. I've ordered the movie from the library, and am looking forward to watching it, even though I almost always prefer books to films.

Picture Books

Hedy Lamarr's Double Life: Hollywood Legend and Brilliant Inventor by Laurie Wallmark, Katy Wu (Illustrations) 

I loved this fascinating picture book biography of one of my favorite classic movie stars. I had no idea that this famous actress was also a brilliant scientist and inventor! With boldly colored illustrations and narrative text that tells a compelling life story, young readers will be inspired to follow their own dreams. I love how Lamarr's father encouraged her to pursue science at a time when young girls generally didn't. She also followed her artistic dreams, which led her to become a Hollywood film actress. This book is loaded with information and also has a nice list of resources for further research inside the back cover.

Cicada by Shaun Tan 

This sharply illustrated picture book reminds me of the work of Chris Van Allsburg, with a surreal portrait of a lonely worker who toils away in an office building unappreciated for seventeen years. The story feels like a metaphor for the way our society has become so isolated from one another that people don't want to be involved with anyone who isn't like them. As a result, there are so many unnamed, unprivileged, marginalized Cicadas who are just waiting around for the day when they become something other. The final illustrations of the flying insects leave the reader feeling hopeful that there is something beyond whatever painful circumstances exist for Cicada.

Just Right: Searching for the Goldilocks Planet by Curtis Manley (Illustrations), Jessica Lanan (Illustrations) 

This fascinating nonfiction picture book tells readers the history of the science of exoplanets in a way that is kid-friendly and accessible. This well-illustrated book is loaded with information that is unpacked as a girl and her family spend time at a local science/astronomy museum. This book also has a detailed list of other resources kids can use to find more information. This book would be a great starting point for research on exoplanets and it's also just a great way to inspire kids to ask questions and think about the larger universe. This is definitely a great nonfiction resource to have on any bookshelf.

Dust Bunny Wants a Friend by Amy Hevron

This clever picture book takes a look under the furniture at the life and longings of a little dust bunny who is searching for a friend. With spare text (hopeful "hi" and sad "bye") and warm illustrations rendered on wood and digitally collaged, young readers see the dust bunny getting hopeful at the approach of ants, cats, and even a broom. But how is the dust bunny ever going to make a friend? This could be a great mentor text for young writers wondering about the life of the unseen parts of our world and also a nice way to start a discussion about how to be a friend to those who seem to be invisible in our day to day lives.

My Heart by Corinna Luyken 

This lovely picture book uses poetic text and beautiful illustrations to share with young readers all of the ways that a heart can be and love. Through happy times and sad times we all sense that our heart and all of the emotions that go with it can be so many different things - sunshine, darkness, growing trees, fences, and so on. This book helps young readers identify those different emotional places and lets them know that their is always hope and that what is open can be closed. This would be a nice book to share with kids for Valentine's Day, when so much is focused on heart-shaped expressions of love and friendship.

Tomorrow Is Waiting by Kiley Frank, Aaron Meshon (Illustrations)

This vibrantly painted poem shares with young readers all of the hopes and dreams for a courage-filled life. This book takes readers to many different places to showcase all of the possibilities for each forthcoming day. The artwork was "painted with acrylic and gouache paints" and the illustrator was "inspired to paint from his memories of favorite places, such as Japan, Iceland, New Zealand, Hawaii, and anywhere else where the Earth's crust is thin and it's nice to take a long warm nap."

A Song for Gwendolyn Brooks by Alice Faye Duncan, Xia Gordon (Illustrations) 

This beautifully written and illustrated nonfiction picture book tells about the inspiring life of the poet Gwendolyn Brooks. The South Side of Chicago in the early part of the twentieth century provides the backdrop of this story of a little girl who was determined to write whenever and wherever she could and parents who nurtured the artistic gift that they knew she possessed. The poetic text employs all of the senses - "Gray burst of smoke hide the yellow sun. Can flowers grow without sunlight?" and "She greets each day in her velvet glory. Her head is filled with snappy rhymes." This would definitely make a great mentor text for young writers as it mixes poetry with biographical information in an uplifting way. This is a great nonfiction resource for all bookshelves.

Love, Z by Jessie Sima

This cute picture book tells the story of a little robot who's on a quest to find out what is love. Z finds a bottle with a mysterious note inside. The only part Z can read is "Love, Beatrice". The older robots had no idea what love is, so Z goes looking for Beatrice. Along the way, there are plenty of folks who try to tell Z about love. And then when Z finds Beatrice, everything falls into place. This would be a nice book to share with young readers during the Valentine season to help start a discussion about what love is.

All Right Already!: A Snowy Story (Bear & Duck #4) by Jory John, Benji Davies (Illustrator) 

With the nasty winter weather that we've been experiencing in the Midwest this past week, with record breaking wind chill and snow emergencies, I can really relate to the grumpy Bear. He's just trying to stay warm and rest, but his next door neighbor, is an over-eager Duck who just wants to play in the snow. Duck drags poor Bear outside and tries to get him to play. But friendship is really put to the test when Bear comes down with a cold. Young readers will definitely giggle at the antics of Duck as he tries to nurse Bear back to health.