Best Reads of July 2018

Summer vacation means way more reading time! Here are my favorites from July. 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

Idea Jar by Adam Lehrhaupt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Every creative writing teacher needs this to share with their students!



Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Simple and sweet. Thank you, Abuela. #acceptance



Vernon Is on His Way: Small Stories by Philip C. Stead
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's a miracle ... a Stead book I actually really like! Even more miraculous is that I had rated "A Home for Bird" 1 star. But this one made me smile. It reminded me of Frog and Toad a little, with the slow pace and thoughtful (if silly) characters.


Can Somebody Please Scratch My Back? by Jory John
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Point off for Elephant turning out to be quite rude.



Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lovely little snapshot of how to appreciate your heritage.



Run Wild by David Covell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The 5-year-old I thought would love it didn't, but I still like it! Nice little allegory near the end, too.



The Field by Baptiste Paul
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Exuberant.


Mailing May by Michael O. Tunnell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wonder if I could use it for a lesson. Maybe the kids could pretend they got mailed somewhere and make a postcard to send back?

Middle Grade Novels

Bob by Wendy Mass
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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






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."


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.





Hunger: A Tale of Courage by Donna Jo Napoli
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As soon as I started this, I remembered why I had read so much of Napoli's work back in the day ... she's a darn good writer. But oh, this book is so bleak. Which is realistic. But I felt guilty about eating a snack while reading it ... so I made a donation to the RI Food Bank.

Nonfiction

Otis and Will Discover the Deep: The Record-Setting Dive of the Bathysphere by Barb Rosenstock
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Crisp writing about an interesting project. The account of the descent was thrilling. Extra star for Katherine Roy's notes about creating the illustrations. Solid nonfiction that's a nice break from the frenetically formatted publisher series.


Speediest!: 19 Very Fast Animals by Steve Jenkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lots of good info, in digestible format. A hit with a 5- and 7-year-old of my acquaintance. Both of whom kept asking me how fast they could run. I have found myself sharing some of the facts with grownups. I predict this will be a hit at my libraries.