It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA (38)

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.

It seems that I am going to have a few more slow reading weeks until the new school year settles in. 

Here are a couple of highlights from the past week:


Olivia and the Fairy Princesses by Ian Falconer - Fans of Olivia is going to love this latest story. 


Glamorous Glasses by Barbara Newman - One cousin needs glasses but doesn't want to wear them.  The other cousin wishes she had glasses.  Kind of fun to see what happens when they trade.  Great ending too.


I Like Old Clothes by Mary Ann Hoberman, Illustrated by Patrice Barton - This one is just a wonderful story.  A great way of looking at old clothes. 


Robot Zombie Frankenstein by Annette Simon - Fun, quirky, and brightly colored. 


 All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome by Kathy Hoopmann - Brilliant way of looking at Asperger Syndrome accompanied by the pictures of cats and cat behavior. 

So what are you reading this week?

I am currently reading..


Capture the Flag by Kate Messner 


The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Ivy & Bean Day Blog-a-Bration Week 3

And the count down to the 1st Annual International Ivy & Bean Day continues.  This week Chronicle Books is giving away a copy of Ivy & Bean Book 3: Break the Fossil Record to one lucky winner and a set of mini-note cards to 3 other winners. Click here to check out the Ivy & Bean official page.


World Record books have a way of drawing kids in.  Bean and her fellow second graders can't help but be thoroughly fascinated by all the different ways that people have ended up in the Book of World Records that Bean's teacher lends to her.  After several of Ivy & Bean's classmates state that they want to break some of the world records, Ivy begin concocting her own plan to break a world record.  Of course, in true Ivy & Bean fashion, it is filled with a few hilarious failed attempts including a broken dish when trying to break a record for fastest dishwashing to being banned to the outdoors after screaming so loud in an attempt to break one of Bean's sister's glass figurines.  Inspired by a book Ivy is reading about a women paleontologist, the two girls set out to discover dinosaur bones in Bean's back yard.  In true Ivy & Bean spirit, the girls do find bones but breaking a world record may come in a completely different manner in the end.

So does anyone have an interesting story about a student(s) who attempted to break a world record after reading World Record book? Love to hear your own story in the comments section.

Other Bloggers celebrating Ivy & Bean Blog-a-Bration:

                     Media Darlings                                  
                     There's A Book                                  
                    In the Pages                                      
                      The O.W.L.                                         
                  Coquette Maman                            
                   Ruth Ayres Writes                           
Watch. Connect. Read.
                 One Page to the Next                    
                 Van Meter Library Voice               
               The Family That Reads Together
                Roundtable Reviews for Kids      
                 Sharpread                                    
                                                               The Children's Book Review        

This week's giveaway will run from August 30th to September 1st.  Don't forget to enter the giveaway by filling in the form at the bottom of the page.

The Winners of this week's giveaways will be entered into the Grand Prize Giveaway.  Thanks Chronicle Books for this great prize pack:


A complete set of Ivy and Bean hardcover books signed by Annie Barrows 

1 set of Ivy and Bean Paper Dolls 

1 Ivy and Bean Button Factory 

1 Ivy and Bean READ Poster signed by Annie Barrows 

Set of Ivy and Bean Silly Bandz · Set of Ivy and Bean stickers 

AND – a super-secret really cool prize we’re working on (stay tuned!)

Nonfiction Picture Book Wedesday - A Rock is Lively

Author: Dianna Hutts Aston
Illustrator: Sylvia Long
Publisher: Chronicle Books (August 29, 2012)
Source: Copy for Review
Independent Reading Level: Grades 3 to 5
Read Aloud Level: Grades 1 to 3
Nonfiction * Science * Rocks/Minerals

Description from GoodReads:
From the award-winning creators of An Egg Is Quiet, A Seed Is Sleepy, and A Butterfly Is Patient comes a gorgeous and informative introduction to the fascinating world of rocks. From dazzling blue lapis lazuli to volcanic snowflake obsidian, an incredible variety of rocks are showcased in all their splendor. Poetic in voice and elegant in design, this book introduces an array of facts, making it equally perfect for classroom sharing and family reading.

My thoughts on this book:
As soon as I saw the cover for A Rock is Lively, I knew I had to read this book.  Aside for the fact that it is just as beautifully illustrated and formatted as the other books in this series, I knew the text would be engaging and informative.  Sure enough, it lived up to my expectations.


Right from the first page, the illustrations nearly pop off the page, and Aston has drawn readers in with her comparison of rock composition to the batter or ingredients for cookies.


One by one, Aston takes readers through various aspects and features of rocks from the age of rocks to their size.

The above picture captures how sand is composed of tiny grains of rocks.


Aston also explores how rocks can be useful, or creative, or energetic.  The book if filled with special facts and information that are made easily accessible for young readers.


A Rock is Lively is a beautiful addition to the series created by Aston and Long.  Each of their books should have a place in a classroom or school library.

Don't forget to look for A Rock is Lively at your school or public library or pick up a copy at your local independent bookstore.

Thanks to Chronicle Books, I have a copy of A Rock is Lively for giveaway.  The giveaway will from from August 29th to September 4th.



Don't forget to link up your nonfiction book reviews here:

Book Review - One For The Murphys

Author: Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books/Penguin (May 10, 2012)
Source: Copy for review
Read Aloud: Grades 4th to 8th
Independent Reading Level: Grades 4th to 8th
Fiction * Foster Care * Family 

Description from GoodReads:
A moving debut novel about a foster child learning to open her heart to a family's love

Carley uses humor and street smarts to keep her emotional walls high and thick. But the day she becomes a foster child, and moves in with the Murphys, she's blindsided. This loving, bustling family shows Carley the stable family life she never thought existed, and she feels like an alien in their cookie-cutter-perfect household. Despite her resistance, the Murphys eventually show her what it feels like to belong--until her mother wants her back and Carley has to decide where and how to live. She's not really a Murphy, but the gifts they've given her have opened up a new future.

My thoughts on the book:
This is a tissue book.  Yeah, just thinking about the book, I have to pull out the tissues again. *wipes eyes, starts again to write* This is also a good book.  It came highly recommended and after reading it I understand why.  I challenge someone to start this book and not finish it in one sitting?  I couldn't put it down.  As a reader, I was so drawn into Carley's story that I just had to keep reading.   

Lynda Mullaly Hunt has created a very special book.  Readers will be pulled in by Carley, her story and by the Murphys just like Carley is drawn in.  Carley's own family life has been far from stable.  Raised by a single mother, Carley has been taught street-wise survival skills but after a severe beating by her step-father, Carley is placed in foster care.  Carley has heard about foster care and she is fully prepared not to like the Murphys.  Initially, Carley is determined to use humor, sarcasm, and even some anger to keep the family at a distance.  Over time,  Carley learns that there may be more choices in life for her than she originally believed. 

Writing stories about children in tough home situations or foster care can be a dangerous road to walk for an author.  Finding the right message and the right balance between telling it like it is and writing a "happily ever after" story is not easy.  Hunt has created a touching, heart-warming story that still manages to ring true and not gloss over some of the more difficult issues and choices that children such as Carley face while in foster care.  As Carley grows and develops from her interactions with the Murphys and with some of the students at her school, the reader also sees how Carley changes their lives as well.   

Since I wanted to know if I should include One For The Murphys in my fall recommendations to students and teachers, I knew I had to read this one before the school year was too far in.  I am glad that I have read it and excited to share Carley and her story with students and teachers.  This will definitely be one book that I recommend over and over again.   
 
Check out the book trailer below:



For more information on author Lynda Mullaly Hunt: website | blog | twitter | facebook | 

It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA (37)

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.

I had a very slow reading week with the start of school this past week.  I had a number of late evenings and just did not get any real reading time.  I have also held off on a book so that I can add it to my Wednesday Nonfiction Picture Book post. 

Here are a couple of highlights from the past week:


Raining Cats and Detectives (Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye) by Colleen AF Venable - I checked out the Advanced Reader's Copy of the 5th book in Colleen AF Venable's Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye series.  I haven't read the first books in this series, but now I want to read them.  I think my students will enjoy this early middle grade graphic novel series.


Chuck Close: Face Book by Francoise Mouly - This middle grade nonfiction book focuses on the artist Chuck Close.  Through a series of Questions and Answers, the reader finds out about Close's life and how he creates his art.  Fascinating.


One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt - Check out my review of this tomorrow. 

So what are you reading this week?