It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila of Book Journey. Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers have adapted it to focus on Picture Books to Young Adult Books.
I have continued to track down some of the picture books on the BEST OF lists as well as some others in my TBR pile. The end of the year is coming so quickly and I am running out of time. I am happy to say I did find a few more and even got to read a few releases coming in 2015.
Here is what stood out in the pile this week:
Rags Hero Dog of WWI: A True Story by Margot Theis Raven; Illustrated by Petra Brown (Sleeping Bear Press, August 2014) - Dogs can be amazing and their loyalty unwavering. Dog lovers, animal lovers, kids will all enjoy this story of one incredible dog.
Tooling Around by Ellen Jackson; Illustrated by Renee Benoit (Charlesbridge Publishing, January 2014) - The illustrations are beautiful in this book, and it was fascinating to see how different animals have created tools to help them with a variety of functions.
Friends for Freedom: The Story of Susan B. Anthony & Frederick Douglass by Suzanne Buckingham Slade; Illustrated by Nicole Tadgell (Charlesbridge, October 2014) - I was unaware of the friendship between Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. Slade gives readers an inside view to their friendship and the battles they fought for the rights of African Americans and women.
Every Last Drop: Bringing Clean Water Home by Michelle Mulder (Orca Book Publishers, April 2014) - Mulder makes the need for clean water engaging, informative, and has some fun with it as well. It certainly made me think more carefully about how I use water.
Migrant: The Journey of a Mexican Worker by Jose Manual Mateo; Illustrated by Javier Martinez Pedro (Abrams, April 2014) - An accordion style book with the illustrations on both sides and the story in English on one side and in Spanish on the other side. Unique and informative and it would be interesting to look at with students.
Albie's First Words: A Tale Inspired by Albert Einstein's Childhood by Jaqueline Tourville; Illustrated by Wayne Evans (Schwartz & Wade, October 2014) - Most people that know anything about Albert Einstein know that he did not say his first words until he was a little bit older. This playful tale has fun with what Einstein must have been thinking as he explores so much but never utters a word.
Animals That Make Me Say Wow!: Secret Hideaways, Infrasonic Hearing, Bubble Gills, and More by Dawn Cusick (Imagine, October 2014) - This is one book in a series of animal fact books that combines beautiful photographs with informative facts. Definitely a book for the school library.
Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring the Earth to Life by Molly Bang & Penny Chisholm (Blue Sky Press, 2009) - I am still looking for the newest book in this series, but I enjoyed reading this one while I wait to find Buried Sunlight which was released in September.
Stormy Night by Salina Yoon (Bloomsbury, January 2015) - I love how Salina Yoon always manages to capture the emotions behind the scenarios facing her characters. Bear and his floppy bunny are back and this time there is a thunderstorm.
Must. Push. Buttons! by Jason Good; Illustrated by Jarrett Krosoczka (Bloomsbury, January 2015) - Ever wonder what must be going on in the mind of a 2 year old? Jason Good attempts to provide readers with a sense of a toddler's thought process.
So, what are you reading?