It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA (4)

It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila of Book Journey.  Jen & Kellee from 

Teach Mentor Texts have adapted this to focus on Picture Books to Young Adult Books.

 

Each week I'll recap what I've read/reviewed the week before 

and then look ahead to what I am planning on reading/reviewing in the upcoming week.

Last week's book adventures:

 

Some weeks are great reading adventures and other weeks, it is a challenge to squeeze in real reading time.  Last week was one of those.  I have discovered that I am one of those people that doesn't like to delve into something that I know will be amazing and I won't want to put down when I don't have the time to read it in one sitting.  This leaves me to peruse the wonderful shelves of picture books.  

Here are some highlights from this past week...

 

 

The book that receives the chuckle of the week award goes to Pirate Girl by Cornelia Funke.  It may not be a new release, but I discovered it as I was browsing around the shelves at one of my favorite local bookstores - Once Upon a Time.  Great story about how one little girl beats out a ship full of Pirates.

   

The book that receives the award for best photographs of baby animals that make you want to say "awww" goes to Friends: True Stories of Extraordinary Animal Friendships by Catherine Thimmesh.  I wanted to just hug everyone of these baby animals. 

 

The book that receives the award of the week for another good one in a series goes to Bear Feels Scared by Karma Wilson.  Bear is on his way home at night and though he doesn't want to admit it he is a bit afraid.  Great story for bedtime reading and overcoming fears.

 

 

The book that receives the award for best board book and one to put on your 2012 booklist goes to Trains Go by Steve Light.  This one comes out in January 2012 and will delight Toddlers who like trains.  

Upcoming Book Adventures...

 

I am seriously not sure what I am going to read this week.  I look around the piles and there are definitely wonderful books to read but not sure where I am going to start.  Want to recommend something?

 

So, what are you reading this week?

Please share! And remember to check in at Sheila's or Jen & Kellee's blog to see what they and others are reading!

 

 

 

Winter Wishlist Week 2

My wonderful buddies - Alethea, Kimberly, & Thuy - over at Read Now, Sleep Later  are hosting a seasonal meme that is perfect for this time a year and for all you book lovers out there.  And I hope they will forgive me for nearly missing a post for this week.  


Week 1: Write about Books or Bookish Things that you would love to get.
Week 2: Write about Books or Bookish Things that you would love to give.
Week 3: Write about a charity/nonprofit/community group that works with books and/or literacy.

Winter Wishlist - Week 2

Books and Bookish Things I'd Love to Give

 

Rebound Designs creates Book Purses and other book accessories around book themes.  I know some Jane Austen fans that would love this Pride and Prejudice Book Purse.

 

For my book loving friends in locations that rain a lot, I am thinking that a bookish umbrella might be appreciated.  Books Stacked to the Sky Umbrella allows readers to show their support of books without ruining any books.

And for friends who might be a little less visible about sharing their passion for books, a wallet can be a subtle way to share their support of books.  This comes from The Gifty website which also sells the umbrella from above.  Check out this great Stacked Books Flat Wallet.

 

Finally, wouldn't it be so neat to create a tree made from books as a Christmas present?  The Mary Sue website had 12 different versions of trees designed from books.  Many of my book geek friends have towering TBR piles with stacks of books in their homes.  A little elf could come in and put those books to good use until it is time to read them.

 

  

So what are you giving your book loving friends this year?

Interview with Ivy + Bean

Today on the blog Ivy and Bean answer questions from their biggest fan, Andrea ("Andy"), a third grader at my school.  Andy sent a letter to Ivy & Bean with some questions, and here is what they had to say.  

Hi Andrea,

Ivy says: We’re glad to know that you like the books about us.

Bean says:  Of course she likes them. Who wouldn’t like them?

Ivy: She’s asking us what books we like besides The Amazing Book of World Records.

Bean:  I don’t like any other books.

Ivy: Yes you do. You liked that book called The World of Weird: Unbelievable Animals.

Bean: Oh yeah. I did like that one.  And I liked that one about how to pan for gold. Even though I never found any gold.

Ivy:  I just read a great book called Penny Dreadful.

Bean: I like Brave Potatoes too!

Ivy: Now she asks whether we like being book characters.  Do you? 

Bean: I don’t care.  Annie Barrows comes around and sits in my backyard and asks us questions, and then she writes about us. It’s no big deal.

Ivy: Yeah, I guess I don’t really care either.  Annie’s okay, but I don’t know why watches us instead of anyone else.

Bean: And why she doesn’t just remember the things she did when she was a kid?

Ivy: Maybe she has a bad memory. She’s kind of old.

Bean: What’s the next question?

Ivy: Hobbies. What are our hobbies?

Bean: Horses.

Ivy: Really? You don’t have a horse.

Bean: Thinking about horses is my hobby.

Ivy: My hobby is cooking.

Bean: What do you cook?  I’ve never seen you cook.

Ivy: I made toast this morning. That’s cooking.

Bean: I like toast.

Ivy: Now she’s asking about secrets.  She says Ivy, does Bean have any secrets?’

Bean: You promised.

Ivy: I know. I won’t. I promised.  Then she says Bean, does Ivy have any secrets?

Bean: Yes, but I’ll never tell. Even if you hang me upside down over a pot of boiling oil, I’ll never ever tell, not even for a million, gazillion dollars.

Ivy: And besides, it didn’t turn on anyway.

Bean: Right. But I’ll never ever tell not even if they shoot me out of a cannon.

Ivy: Do you want to be in a fashion show book? That’s the next question.

Bean: Do I get to decide what to wear?

Ivy: No, you have to wear a dress. Do you  have a dress?

Bean: Nope. Guess I can’t be in the fashion show.

Ivy: And I have to wear pants.

Bean: You can borrow some of mine.

Ivy: Okay. Here’s her last question: Is there a continent that you both wish to travel to and why?

Bean: Easy-peasy. I want to go to Africa so I can see the cheetahs. They can run faster than any animal in the world.

Ivy: Okay, and then we’ll go to Antarctica, because hardly anyone goes there.

Bean: You want to see penguins?

Ivy: No, I want to see glaciers.

Bean: Okay. First Africa and then Antarctica.

Ivy: Bye, Andy.

Bean:  See you later, alligator.

Thank you to the wonderful, and talented Annie Barrows (author and creator of the Ivy and Bean Series) for taking time out of her busy schedule to make one 3rd grade student the happiest girl in the world.

Thank you Andy for creating all of the great questions for Ivy and Bean.  You rock!

For more information about Ivy and Bean check out the Chronicle Books website:
http://www.chroniclebooks.com/landing-pages/ivyandbean/

For more information about author, Annie Barrows and her books, check out her website:
http://www.anniebarrows.com/ivyandbean/ivyandbean/about/

Check out this great interview with author, Annie Barrows as she talks about Ivy and Bean.

It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA (3)

It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila of Book Journey.  Jen & Kellee from 

Teach Mentor Texts have adapted this to focus on Picture Books to Young Adult Books.

Each week I'll recap what I've read/reviewed the week before 

and then look ahead to what I am planning on reading/reviewing in the upcoming week.

Last week's book adventures:

In an effort to catch up with my GoodReads Reading Challenge Goal of 1200 books for 2011(I am seriously behind), I read 53 picture books and early readers.  Some were good.  Some were great.  Some just meh.  You can check out my GoodReads page if you want to check all of the titles. 

Here are some highlights...

My preschoolers loved when I read YES DAY! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld.

I loved HIPPO & RABBIT: IN THREE SHORT TALES.  They reminded me of FROG & TOAD.  

I learned quite a bit about mammals from a non-fiction early reader by Scholastic MAMMALS: TRUE & FALSE. 

I discovered more about the art and science of snowflakes from THE SECRET LIFE OF A SNOWFLAKE. 

And if all YA Contemporary Fiction could be as good as Holly Goldberg Sloan's debut novel I'LL BE THERE, I would be reading contemporary fiction all the time. 

Upcoming book adventures:

This week will likely find me reading many more picture books and early readers.  I still have 193 books to go.  But I suspect that I will be finishing up Leisl & Po and starting Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare.  

So, what are you reading this week?

Please share! And remember to check in at Sheila's or Jen & Kellee's blog to see what they and others are reading!

Winter Wishlist 2011 (2) - Nerdy Book Club

I wasn't expecting to do another Winter Wishlist post quite so soon but I was checking out the new Nerdy Book Club Café Press store and had to share.

What is Winter Wishlist you might ask?  My wonderful buddies - Alethea, Kimberly, & Thuy - over at Read Now, Sleep Later  are hosting a seasonal meme that is perfect for this time a year and for all you book lovers out there.  

Week One - Books or Bookish Things that I would love to get:
The focus for the first week is on gifts we would love to get (btw, this is not a ploy to get gifts, I am actually having fun just sharing things that book lovers might enjoy).  I do know that hearing about what gifts others want to get gives me an idea about gifts I can get for wonderful book loving friends.  Yesterday, I mentioned a great source for some book-related jewelry.  Today, I am featuring the Nerdy Book Club Café Press store.  By shopping at the Nerdy Book Club store, not only do you get some neat designs from Tom Angleberger (author of The Strange Case of Origami Yoda among other books), but the proceeds support RIF (Reading Is Fundamental).  And you get to proclaim your passion for books in a cool way.  

Hmmm, now do I want the Nerd Horde Shirt...

Or the mug I can use for my Sunday #bookstack on Twitter?

Decisions, decisions.  While I am trying to decide what I want or what I want to give.  Go check out the Nerdy Book Club Blog and their new store.  Oh, and remember to follow them on Twitter at #Nerdybookclub