Best Reads T1 2019-2020

Here's what I read and loved this trimester. 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

Trees by Verlie Hutchens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Editors, THIS is poetry! Please make some of your other authors work a little harder at word choice and rhythm. Rich vocabulary - castanets shimmer, canapes of sunshine and pollen, fuzzy round baubles, akilter / unkempt, struts in royal ermine robes. I have ideas for using this for lessons ...


Saturday by Oge Mora
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved it. Loved the pictures, loved the text patterns, loved the message.




Grandpa's Stories by Joseph Coelho
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Beautiful. I miss Beepie.





Ginny Goblin Cannot Have a Monster for a Pet by David Goodner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Extra star for the vocabulary. Oh, this will be so fun to read for Mock Caldecott. And I can use in the future for some kind of bad pet theme with other books of the ilk.




The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota's Garden by Heather Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a wonderful idea for dealing with grief.






Who Wet My Pants? by Bob Shea
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Definitely adding to the Mock Caldecott list. The hand in the fish tank made me laugh out loud. Thank you, Bob Shea and Zachariah O'Hora, for living up to expectations.




Sweet Dreamers by Isabelle Simler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

At first I found the palette off-putting, but upon rereading, I became more appreciative of this book as an artistic tour de force. I also noticed that the wordless spreads were introducing new habitats. May buy as a gift for the next baby I know who is born.



A Normal Pig by K-Fai Steele
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nice rendition of a classic theme.





Music for Mister Moon by Philip C. Stead
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first Stead production I have really liked! Will my kids? Not sure.






Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

We're all in this together.






Cat Knit by Jacob Grant
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Adorable.

Early Readers

Chick and Brain: Smell My Foot! by Cece Bell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

OMG.







Hello, Crabby! by Jonathan Fenske
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Love these Acorn books. And crabby characters.






Harold & Hog Pretend For Real! by Dan Santat
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So meta!

Graphic Novels

Guts by Raina Telgemeier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As someone with terrible stomach problems for years, who didn't even know "anxiety" was a thing until she was 30, I really could have used this when I was in middle school.

Middle Grade Novels

A Drop of Hope by Keith Calabrese
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Immensely readable, sweet, and lovely. The interconnecting stories worked, and some of the resolutions made me cry.

p. 10: "It was like he was riding in the back seat of his own family."

p. 25: "Parents always tell their kids to stand up for themselves, but they never mean for their kids to do it with them>."

p. 90: "At first none of it made any sense. ... It was like trying to listen to a four-year-old describe his dream to you."

p. 301: "You can't fix the world. But you do your best in your own little corner of it. And you hope."



The Line Tender by Kate Allen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

One of our strongest Mock Newbery contenders so far. Although I stopped reading for a while after an unexpected tragedy struck and traumatized me. Mr. Patterson was a fantastic character. The postcards were lovely. Would probably recommend for middle school v. elementary.

p. 84: "I love that you can just throw around 'uterus.' You are highly evolved."



Finding Orion by John David Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So much fun. And now reviewing the highlights, I'm sad I agreed to let it go from the Mock Newbery list. Hoping it makes RICBA.






Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Charming with a sweet resolution. Although I never got over Sweet Pea hiding her dad's mail.

p. 10: "And because he's a true best friend, he even slams my bedroom door for me because my hands are full."

p. 34: "Heck, when I fed Miss Dillon's cat for a week when she went on a cruise, she told me she'd pay me too. She just didn't say it would be in seashells she'd found on the beach and painted herself. When one of them started stinking up my room, Dad found a dead snail inside. Mom said it was a good lesson in doing nice things without expecting anything in return. I thought it was a good lesson in why you should check your seashells for living creatures before taking them home."

p. 53: "He laid claim to Greg on his first day. Oscar says it's like he peed on him to mark his territory."

p. 240: "We all love each other, but it's like on those shows about doctors where they need a certain kind of blood for a patient, but all they have is the wrong kind. This is what that feels like. We have plenty of love. It's just not the right kind."

p. 255: "Sometimes it's easy to forget that quiet moments mean just as much as the loud ones, because it's no always about moving. Sometimes it's about sitting perfectly and quietly still."

Nonfiction

Her Fearless Run: Kathrine Switzer’s Historic Boston Marathon by Kim Chaffee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great combination of text and pictures. May use for a Mock Sibert.

For Grownups

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well done, Mr. Turton. Meticulously plotted with a reveal I did not see coming but tied up some loose ends. Supremely entertaining if a bit braintwisting.

Best Reads - Summer Vacation

Here's what I read and loved this summer. 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

The Panda Problem by Deborah Underwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Between this and "What If?," I have a new lesson in plot structure!


I'm Bored by Michael Ian Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fantastic, funny combination of words and pictures. Would recommend for any kids having a summer vacation slump.



I'm Sad by Michael Ian Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Will pair with "When Sadness is at Your Door."





Hello by Fiona Woodcock
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Adore the concept. Not a US illustrator, so can't use for Mock Caldecott, but I CAN use as a mentor text for the kids to create their own stories. May use in addition to or instead of my Oops Pounce Quick Run activity.


The Pigeon Has to Go to School by Mo Willems
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I hope not every other teacher at my schools is planning to read this! Because it's what I'm starting out K with!


The Dumb Bunnies by Sue Denim
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

OMG. If I buy this for my libraries, will I get in trouble because "dumb" means "stupid" and "stupid" is the "S word"? And because they flush someone down the toilet? I kind of love it. However, did Dav steal taking the bikes from the Sesame Street doodlebugs taking the family car to the zoo?


What If...? Then We...: Short, Very Short, Shorter-than-Ever Possibilities by Rebecca Kai Dotlich
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So a couple of resolutions might make the anxious more anxious, but overall, I think this will be a great book to share and a good companion to "Fortunately."


Can Cat and Bird Be Friends? by Coll Muir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tempted to read to 4th and 5th grade and then partner them up and force them to find something in common. Also considering making my own award for my kids to vote for because Mock Caldecott is only for Americans, and this is British.


Gittel's Journey: An Ellis Island Story by Lesléa Newman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bumping up to a 4 because although I've read dozens of versions of this story, my students have not. And given the immigration issues of today, they should.

Early Readers

A Short Tale About a Long Dog by Henry Winkler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

PERFECT for my second graders.

Nonfiction

The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown by Mac Barnett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

WOW. I don't even really like Margaret Wise Brown's books, but I LOVED this book about her. And about some other things as well. Will probably use for Mock Sibert if I get my act together on that. Will definitely recommend to those teachers who do "The Important Book."



Guitar Genius: How Les Paul Engineered the Solid-Body Electric Guitar and Rocked the World by Kim Tomsic
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I want to do more with art and music in library.

Middle Grade Novels

Bernice Buttman, Model Citizen by Niki Lenz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh, Bernice. What a great character. Loved this. Lots of funny lines, like "She had rays of sunbeams shining out her nostrils, I tell you want." I want to focus more on social emotional learning next year, and this fits that arena without being mushy, lame, or didactic. Hope Lenz is working on a second novel.



The True History of Lyndie B. Hawkins by Gail Shepherd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I laughed. I cried.

Similar sentiment to Paulie Fink:

p. 91: "The whole point of learning about history, Mr. Handy told us in class, is you figure out that knowledge is changeable. New people come along and retell the story. Every year we are here on Earth, we make little nudges and revisions to what we think about where we came from and what we have done."

p. 124: Why have I never heard about soldiers cutting up shirts and petticoats to make the first stars and stripes?

p. 165: "I think what you are talking about is more the plot of you than the theme of you."

p. 269: "A young officer at the counter is doing something efficient with a stack of carbon copies."

And Dawn's categories!


One-Third Nerd by Gennifer Choldenko
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Super sweet, funny, and realistic. I liked that Izzy's Down Syndrome was made out to be a difference, but not a handicap.

p. 79: ... Mrs. Johnson tells Dakota, "We'll take questions later." Dakota's arm drops like a boulder. A second later it shoots up again. "Dakota," Mrs. Johnson sighs. "You didn't say how much later."

p. 95: That's the trouble with being a kid. Nobody ever tells you the right things to worry about.


Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gen broke my heart. The racism within her family and classmates - and within herself - was, quite frankly, shocking to me. The brown bag test and the bleach elicited out-loud reactions. Powerful stuff.




A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramée
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ramee nicely balances the typical middle-school friendship drama with the bigger issue of the Black Lives Matter movement, all with a touch of humor. I liked it a lot.

p. 297: "And if you are never afraid, then how do you know when you're brave?"


Lety Out Loud by Angela Cervantes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This would make an excellent RI Children's Book Award nominee. And I loved when the book recommendations started getting added to the pet profiles!

Young Adult

This Promise of Change: One Girl’s Story in the Fight for School Equality by Jo Ann Allen Boyce
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Holy shit.

Some gut punches here.

Delivered in verse that is truly poetic.

Interspersed with media coverage from the time.

Damn.

p. 89: "All those cups of sugar. / All those cakes and pies / Mrs. Smith baked with those borrowed cups. / How did they bear to swallow them? / How do I bear / to swallow this?"

p. 124: "The news is something / that happens / to other people / in other places. / Until it happens to you."

p. 168: "It's the little things that help. ... It's the little things that hurt."

p. 192: "It's the big things that grow from the little things."


A Story About Cancer With a Happy Ending by India Desjardins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Love how the artwork colors reflect the mood of the text.

For Grownups

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It went off the rails a bit about 2/3 of the way through, but still a great summer read/ride. Frances' observations and worries made me laugh out loud. I would love to have her back as a character.

RICBA Nominees 2020

Here's what I thought of them ... favorites at the top.

The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Refreshing angle for the standard "Will I fit in at middle school" plot premise with lots of funny lines.





Nightbooks by J.A. White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Loved the structure, with all of the truly creepy short stories interspersed with the main plot. The big reveal was cuckoobananas.





Front Desk by Kelly Yang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Powerful depiction of an immigrant family trying to make it. Or at least keep a roof over their heads. It gets a little "It's A Wonderful Life" at the end, but we could all use a happy ending. Mia pretty much is the embodiment of grit.

p. 82: "I used to think being successful meant having enough to eat, but now that I was getting free lunch at school, I wondered if I should set my standards higher."


Just Like Jackie by Lindsey Stoddard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Beautifully written, although the entire situation nervoused me. And the grandfather refusing to tell Robinson about any of her family members - even back when he was fully there - was infuriating. But still a moving read.

p. 117: "I'm so sad at Grandpa's brain because I don't know how to diagnose his malfunction, and I don't even know if he knows that his check engine's light's on."

p. 126: "I do want to cut away at Grandpa's hard, thick bark because it feels really scratchy and crappy to keep rubbing up against it."

p. 166: "And I wish there were some wire brush to clean out Grandpa's corroded cables and reconnect them to his starter so he could ride out good as new too."


Margot and Mateo Save the World by Darcy Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nonstop action. And Dr. Smalls looking up "foot cancer" made me lawl. This will be an easy sell to get kids reading RICBA books.




The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street by Lindsay Currie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not sure the reasons for the haunting were explained completely satisfactorily, but nicely spooky for the middle grade set.




Bob by Wendy Mass
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I want a Bob in my closet! His voice cracked me up.





Inky's Amazing Escape: How a Very Smart Octopus Found His Way Home by Sy Montgomery
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Better than "Inky's Great Escape," which was heavily fictionalized. I gave that one 4 stars - extra for the illustrations - so I feel like I need to give this one 4 stars as well because it was based on the facts. And the Mr. Potato Head eyes on the starfish made me laugh. Not sure if that was entirely true, but oh well. As much as I liked the illustrations here, I have a couple of quibbles:

1. Half the time I couldn't tell which two tentacles had been injured.
2. The text says that he was the size of a baseball when found, but the picture makes him look as big as the fisherman's head.


Captain Superlative by J.S. Puller
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A bit over the top, but a message that can't be shared enough with students. #choosekind #willyoubesuperlative





A Lady Has the Floor: Belva Lockwood Speaks Out for Women's Rights by Kate Hannigan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Good information, but I didn't love the illustration style, nor the design with cursive lettering strewn about the pages.


Monster Mayhem by Christopher Eliopoulos
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Chomp was beating up his own friends and family? Is that what we were supposed to understand? The timing near the end got very strange ... all the building and flying and getting an architect took like 10 minutes? Finally, the friendship message was a little heavy-handed. However, extra star for how much I think my kids are going to like it.



Game Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams by Lesa Cline-Ransome
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Their dad was obsessed. Dragging the entire family to the courts at dawn even though the older kids had already dropped tennis? Jesus, and the text says the girls "didn't have time for friends"?? And they had to drop to the ground when gang shootings happened near the courts??? And their dad paid kids to yell insults at them????

I do wish the illustrations of their faces were a bit more true to life; most of them just looked like random people v. the sisters (I just spent 10 minutes looking at photos online to confirm).


Knights vs. Dinosaurs by Matt Phelan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Hmm ... this didn't work for me, but I'm 44 and not into battle descriptions. Would it work for my students? They do like action, and I do like when books are shorter than 200 pages, because they're more likely to read them. But knights aren't that popular. Lots of good vocabulary.


Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I can't believe the same narrator did Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce, which I ADORED. His voice was annoyingly distracting in this one. And there was a skipping noise at the beginning of each chapter. Not sure if I would have liked it better in print? At least it was short. But I think the length actually worked against it. We should have had a fuller understanding of Nora.


The Train of Lost Things by Ammi-Joan Paquette
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

So the dead can never be happy if they aren't reunited with a prize possession? Is the message to kids that they should love things? How did the jacket disappear anyways? Did not like. Pretty much skimmed the second half.