Here are my favorite books that I read during the past few months. I've read a lot, but only loved a relative few. Click on the titles to read plot summaries. If you'd like to see all of my books, you can follow me on Goodreads.
Picture Books
Very Good Hats by Emma StraubMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
The illustrator, Blanca Gomez, doesn't live in the U.S., so I can't do this for Mock Caldecott. Boo. Or can I? I mean, I'm in charge ...
Makes me almost wish I still had PreK this year so we could do as a readaloud. May do with K anyways.
My only issue is that Straub encourages books at hats, and one of the things I have so say during nearly every checkout is "Books are not hats." Or are they? I mean, I'm in charge ...
The Tree and the River by Aaron BeckerMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Hoo boy. I know which page we're heading towards right now ...
Took me a while to read because I kept flipping pages back and forth. May well win a real Caldecott, but too rich and detailed for me to share with K and 1 on the overhead. Would probably have a bigger impact on older kids anyways.
Early Reader
It's a Sign! by Jarrett PumphreyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I think this will be great for K. They can make signs of the words they know (even if they are just "a" and "I") and I will hang them up!
Middle Grade Novels
Only Only Marisol Rainey by Erin Entrada KellyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Perfect.
p. 30: Marisol isn't sure what "frankly" means exactly, but it sounds very grown-up at the beginning of a sentence.
p. 36: Sometimes she feels like the only one in the whole world who worries.
p. 65: After all, she can't control what Gregory does. But she CAN control what she - Marisol - does.
Penny Draws a Best Friend by Sara ShepardMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Penny and Erin Entrada Kelly's Marisol need to be friends. I LOVED THIS. And could relate ...
When she realizes teachers talk about students
When she asks why the Easter Bunny wears no pants
When she says "I like to think of all the worst possible things, so I feel prepared"
When she worries that by clearing her mind she may never have a thought again
When she comes up with the idea of a worry lamp
When she states that choking is terrifying
The incorporation of comics panels into the narrative makes this book a fantastic choice to entice students who will ONLY READ GRAPHIC NOVELS (not that there's anything wrong with that ...)
BenBee and the Teacher Griefer by K.A. HoltMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Excellent. A combination of poetry, prose, online chats, illustrations, and documents that support a story full of heart and wit and feel-ings. The details about Sandbox will hook my students, but joke's on them, because at the end, the main characters finish a book on purpose and decide that reading doesn't suck. I can't wait to read the next one.
p. 86 - These unmoving boulders / of letters and sounds and words, / tripping me until I move so slow, / I must be on the verge of ... / I am going to die of ... / word poisoning?
Rhyme Schemer by K.A. HoltMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Can we stop making middle-schoolers read "Lord of the Flies" and have them read this instead? We can just pause and explain what the book was about when Mrs. Little mentions it. Fantastic verse THAT IS NOT JUST SENTENCES WITH RETURNS SPLITTING THEM UP (other authors and editors, take note!). Powerful, spare examination of what happens when the bully becomes the bullied and why he was that way to begin with. And the found poetry can further inspire readers.
p. 11 - If I am stone / I am unbreakable
p. 114 - What kind of TV show does Robin live in? / What kind of TV show does Kelly live in? What kind of TV show does Mrs. Little live in? / Do they have live audience laugh tracks? / A chorus of "awww"s? / I bet Mrs. Little has a funny theme song / running through her show, / that seems simple, / but then bursts out with bongos. / Always a surprise.
Nonfiction
How Do You Spell Unfair?: MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee by Carole Boston WeatherfordMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Fantastic prose from Weatherford as usual, and Morrison's illustrations glow.
"Can you spell DISCRIMINATION? / Do you know what it means?"
Search for a Giant Squid: Pick Your Path by Amy Seto ForresterMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Well, I never found the damn squid, but what a great combo of science and choose-your-own! My students will love it.
National Geographic Readers: Bling! (L3): 100 Fun Facts About Rocks and Gems by Emma Carlson BerneMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
National Geographic always does a nice job, and I need more books about rocks and gems because they are always checked out! However, I have issues with a couple of facts about the "most rare gems":
- Only ONE TINY CRYSTAL of "ichnusaite" has ever been found? Are you sure it was really its own thing?
- "Cobaltomenite" is found in South America, Utah, and Congo, but all of it ever would fit in a drinking glass? How do you know it is the same?
I guess I'm having the same issue as when they say there are 40,000 species of spiders but only 1 of humans. It hurts my brain.
The Day the River Caught Fire: How the Cuyahoga River Exploded and Ignited the Earth Day Movement by Barry WittensteinMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Welp, I really like Barry Wittenstein's writing style, and the thought of a river catching fire is so gross and distressing that the kids will be interested, and Earth Day is great and all ... but I kind of don't have any hope for the future these days. Can I fake it during readalouds?
The author's note says, "If the world still exists as you read this ..." and the timeline mentions that in 2022, "Global record for hottest days in history is set." Sigh.
The Boo-Boos That Changed the World: A True Story About an Accidental Invention by Barry WittensteinMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Playful and informative.
Compost Basics by Mari SchuhMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love Pebble Plus books for introducing concepts and background info to my kindergartners.
For Grownups
The Housemaid by Freida McFaddenMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
EXACTLY what I wanted for a school vacation week ... I usually rotate among several different books, but this one grabbed me and I read it almost straight through. My "oh!"s and "wow!"s and "gasp"s as I sped through the last third prompted my SO's dad (who we were visiting) to download it himself. I went ahead and downloaded "The Housemaid's Secret" immediately upon finishing. Highly recommended for those who like psychological thrillers. With jaw-dropping twists. The jacket copy writers were not exaggerating this time around.
The Every by Dave EggersMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Brilliantly ridiculous satire. Should have seen the ending coming.
The Bullet That Missed by Richard OsmanMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I'm not sure why everyone online is whingeing about Fiona Shaw's narration ... granted, I hadn't listened to the first two, so maybe the former reader truly was that spectacular, but I thought hers was just fine. And the story itself was super fun and I can't wait until #4 comes out in September! Well paced with character development and wry observations and red herrings that didn't piss me off.
The Society of Shame by Jane RoperMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Roper skewers social media and cancel culture delightfully.
Hidden Pictures by Jason RekulakMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
That was fun! Pictures! Twists! Drama! Psychotics!
How to Be Eaten by Maria AdelmannMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
As a novel, not sure it was amazing, but I did love how Adelmann reworked the classic tales.
Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. WatsonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book did not have to be this long - I stayed up way too late to finish it. I kind of called the twist, and there are a couple of large plot holes re: Dr. Nash, but still an entertaining summer read.
