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.

It's been a cold, wet week. But thankfully, it's only been rain, and not snow or ice! It would be nice to have some sunshine back and maybe, a little warmer. But, I have been able to get over to the gym to walk indoors, which is better than no exercise at all.

And of course, it's been a good week to grab a pile of books, a cup of tea, and head over to a comfy spot by the fireplace. Here's what I've been reading this week:

A Ride to Remember: A Civil Rights Story by Sharon Langley, Amy Nathan, Floyd Cooper (Illustrator)

This awesome nonfiction picture book shares with young readers a personal story of the civil rights movement. The events of this story take place over fifty years ago, but kids will be fascinated by the author's family's role in ending discrimination in one of Baltimore's amusement parks. Before 1963, African Americans were not allowed to visit the Gwynn Oak Amusement Park. In the summer of 1963, mass protests took place and hundreds of people were arrested. When the park's owners relented and welcomed all families, young Sharon Langley and her parents were the first African American family to enter the park and ride the carousel. The day was also famous because Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in our nation's capital. With fascinating first-person narration and gorgeous illustrations, young readers will learn so much about the civil rights movement. Author's notes, a time line, and a list of books and articles at the back of the book make this a terrific nonfiction resource to have on the shelf.

Emergency Kittens! by Jody Jensen Shaffer, Dave Mottram (Illustrator)

A quick look at Netflix and your local movie theater line-up will tell you that there are lots of superheroes to watch and appreciate. But these feline superheroes have cuteness as their power. With humorous text that tell all about the harrowing situations in which these three can save the day and brightly colored illustrations, this will definitely be a fun book to share with young cat fans!

Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard, Juana Martinez-Neal (Illustrator)

You can almost smell the sizzling bread in the skillet as the author shares with young readers all of cultural, historical, and emotional aspects of a traditional Native American food. The lyrical text and the wonderful illustrations share all of these thoughts about fry bread. And if your mouth is watering by the end of the book, there is a recipe and several pages of author's notes about fry bread and Native American history.

Snow Still by Holly Surplice 

This sweet board book shares with young children the joys and wonders of the wintertime world. A little fawn has a wonderful time playing in the snow and discovering new friends on a cold winter day in the woods. With spare text and beautiful illustrations, this is a nice one to read with young children on a snowy day.

Bird Count by Susan Edwards Richmond, Stephanie Fizer Coleman (Contributor)

This fascinating picture book will have young readers eager to keep their eyes and ears open for birds on their next nature walk. Ava, the little girl in this story, and her mom participate in the Christmas Bird Count. The story takes readers along with them and Al, their group leader, as they systematically make the rounds of their community while Ava keeps the official tally of the birds they see. This book will definitely inspire other young "citizen scientists" to learn more about how to identify and count the birds that are all over their own neighborhoods. The back of the book has more information on the different birds that Ava and her team counted along with information about the Christmas Bird Count and how to get involved.

River by Elisha Cooper

My parents live in a house along the Mississippi River and I have often sat on their back deck watching barges and other boats travel past. Anyone who's ever stared at a river and dreamed of traveling the length of it will definitely enjoy this awesome picture book. The book tells the story of a woman who takes a canoe from the source of the Hudson River and travels all the way to New York City where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way she encounters animals, waterfalls, sudden storms, and many other wonders and challenges. This would be a fun way to talk about geography and even plan other trips down other rivers.