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.

The nice warm weather we had last week ended. Now we have cold winds and nasty snow and ice. Today I was glad there was no snow to shovel, but our neighborhood was a sheet of ice. I hate that even worse. I won't even step out of the house when it's so slippery! It's a good thing I have plenty of awesome books to read! So, here's what I've been reading this past week:

I Am Love: A Book of Compassion by Susan Verde, Peter H Reynolds (Contributor)

In a world that is so polarized, young people often have a difficult time showing kindness, empathy and compassion for one another. It can be hard to find good role models of living in a way that honors each other and our own hearts, minds, and bodies. This sweet picture book uses simple, poetic text to show kids how to use the power of love to show kindness to others. There is also advice at the end for practicing heart-opening yoga poses and heart meditation. There are schools that are starting to look into yoga and mindfulness training to help kids solve conflict and stay out of trouble. So this book would be a great resource to have in a school classroom. If I were going to use the book at home or in a church setting, I would definitely tie it to 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.). And, I can't help it, but it totally makes me think of the song Heal The World by Michael Jackson, so it might be nice to share that or a similar feel good song for kids.

My Winter City by James Gladstone, Gary Clement (Illustrator)

While winter is definitely my least favorite season, this awesome picture book does a terrific job of capturing a winter day in the city using sensory details and adjectives. Gorgeous watercolor illustrations create an urban scene that lots of young readers aren't used to seeing in books about winter time. This could definitely become a seasonal favorite on the bookshelf.

The Thing about Bees: A Love Letter by Shabazz Larkin 

If you've ever been stung by a bee, it's hard not to be a little bit leery of more encounters with these insects. If I'm sitting on my deck with a book and a glass of iced tea, nothing gets me up and out of my chair and back in the house than a bee buzzing around my head. This lovely picture book takes a closer look at these pesky, but important, insects. This lyrical poem is advice from a father to his sons, and really the rest of us, about how even though bees are kind of rude and scary, we need them in order to enjoy all of the wonderful fruits and veggies that rely on pollination. There's a quick brush-up on what pollination is, for those that aren't familiar. The illustrations are gorgeous, and there's information at the back about the different kinds of bees and how to avoid getting stung.

Albert's Quiet Quest by Isabelle Arsenault 

Albert's house is so noisy, he goes outside with his book to find some peace and quiet. Out in the alley behind his home, he finds a way to get lost in an abandoned painting of a sunny beach and begins to breathe a little easier. Little by little, his friends and neighbors find him and begin invading his newly found quiet place and before too long, it's not so quiet anymore. When we live in community with others, sometimes we have to find a balance between being present for our family and friends and taking time for a little self-care. This book could start a good discussion about that. This book kinds of reminds me of Leave Me Alone! by Vera Brogsol, and could pair well with that.

Mine!: A Counting Book about Sharing by Caryn Rivadeneira

This cute counting board book Mine suggests that people build up joyful community when what’s “mine” is shared and become “ours.” The author explains in her note to parents at the end that we “begin to expand the circle of belonging” when we share our belongings with others. This text and story challenge us to consider our own connection to the “mines” in our own lives.

Lovely by Jess Hong 

In this sweet picture book, the author illustrates a variety of “opposites” in appearance, declaring them all to be “lovely.” This could start a terrific discussion with children about how we can look at others, providing love, care, and respect – no matter what. We're meant to live in community with a variety of people and learning tolerance and empathy and care is such an important lesson to teach young children.