Here are my favorite books that I read during the second trimester of the year. 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 Three Billy Goats Gruff by Mac BarnettMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Klassen's illustrations are usually so cute, but good lord, this troll is NASTY. And the text is fun. My favorite line(s):
"I can't believe I tried that goat into telling me about his big brother. I'm so smart! And fun and handsome."
I'm a Unicorn by Helen YoonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Oh boy. Do I think it will really win the Caldecott? No. Did I laugh out loud at the end? Yes. Will I be reading it to the kids? Absolutely.
Walter Had a Best Friend by Deborah UnderwoodMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Sometimes kids say "You're not my friend anymore" because they're mad. And sometimes they mean it. But sometimes people just drift apart. Fantastic, simple treatment of the situation.
I Cannot Draw a Horse by Charise Mericle HarperMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Delightful, as are most Charise Mericle Harper creations.
Finding Fire by Logan S. KlineMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Excellent choice for the Ks who ask me for "adventure."
Somewhere in the Bayou by Jerome PumphreyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Holy crap, that was quite a punchline! I was thinking this could be a great readaloud for PreK with the repetition and smack! splash! But now I'm not so sure ... K could handle it, though.
Early Reader
Fish and Wave by Sergio RuzzierMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
My favorite of this year's Geisels.
Middle Grade Novels
Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa YeeMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Very good middle-grade novel about a girl discovering her heritage and connecting with her grandparents while learning about and encountering racism. Would recommend as a RICBA nominee.
Moonwalking by Zetta ElliottMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Yay, a book in verse that actually has poetry to it. Especially like when specific forms were noted ... I never heard of a "tricube" before, but I liked it, and the poem that used it on p. 37 was powerful even though it only used 16 words / 27 syllables.
I like that we learn about unions and strikes and Lech Walensa and Patrice Lumumba.
I like that art and music's ability to provide comfort and inspiration and a safe place are explored.
I was confused about Miss Tina.
Graphic Novels
The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza by Mac BarnettMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Hilarious. Ridiculously silly with Easter eggs for the grownups. So much fun I can't wait to share with my students.
P.S. The zooper got zooped!
Swim Team by Johnnie ChristmasMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I never knew where the idea that black people can't swim came from ... but it makes sense that if you aren't allowed to go in a pool, then how the hell do you learn? Solid middle-grade story about overcoming the past and working towards the future.
Nonfiction
Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement by Angela JoyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Powerful. I teared up at the list of names at the end - people who have been murdered, like Emmett Till, for being black within the last several years. I think this would be too much for 2nd grade Sibert, but will recommend for next year's 3rd-5th RICBA. The verse reads like poetry, the facts are laid out, and I have never before read that Rosa Parks "thought of Emmett as she sat waiting to be arrested."
Out of the Shadows: How Lotte Reiniger Made the First Animated Fairytale Movie by Fiona RobinsonMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this - I feel like often picture book nonfiction is incomplete, but the main text offers tons of information with great illustrations (silhouettes like Lottie made!) and a "silent movie" format. One detail missing: I want to know how soap, paint, sand, and wax were used to create "the most magical special effects." And I want to watch some of her movies!
Shirley Chisholm is a Verb! by Veronica ChambersMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
So good. She was so great. I think I'm going to read this and "She Was the First" to students and have them decide which bio they like better.
The Animal Toolkit: How Animals Use Tools by Steve JenkinsMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
So interesting! The thread-waisted wasp elicited an "Ewwww" from me, so I'm sure the kids will love it. Love the coconut octopus. The black kite setting fires was astonishing.
The Rise (and Falls) of Jackie Chan by Kristen Mai GiangMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I do Sibert in 2nd grade, which seems to be peak time for boys to fall out of their chairs on a regular basis. This may encourage them, but oh, well. I think it will be a fun read and plan to show clips of Jackie and my buddy Buster Keaton.
Up Your Nose by Seth FishmanMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Timely topic! Kids are so gross. (I love you, kids! But please learn how to blow your nose the right way. And stop coughing on me.)
Good Eating: The Short Life of Krill by Matt LilleyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Lots of good information, and some fantastic illustrations.
Nellie vs. Elizabeth: Two Daredevil Journalists' Breakneck Race Around the World by Kate HanniganMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I wish there was more info about how cool Nellie was ... she's been a favorite of mine since I read a "Childhood of Great Americans" biography in like third grade. (BTW, if you still have them in your school library, it's time to get rid of them and replace with other books like Who Was?.)
This will also be great to teach the "sequence" structure of expository text (which I will be adding to the Sibert unit this year to show I learned something from my Science of Reading course). It's rare to find picture book nonfiction about people that isn't a straight biography.
One Million Trees: A True Story by Kristen BalouchMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Too much going on to do as a readaloud, but the illustrations were fun and teach some math and French vocabulary!
Yoshi and the Ocean: A Sea Turtle's Incredible Journey Home by Lindsay MooreMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I liked the lyrical feel, and the illustrations were fantastic, but I decided not to use for Mock Sibert because Yoshi had a tracker, not a camera, on her, and so it wasn't straight facts for the kids to take notes on. May add to the collection, though.
Marcel's Masterpiece: How a Toilet Shaped the History of Art by Jeff MackMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I liked this better upon a reread, but as someone who needs an artist's statement to appreciate almost anything at the Institute of Contemporary Art, I am not equipped to lead a discussion about what art really is with second graders for Mock Sibert. Will recommend to the art teacher, though.
Young Adult
A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie IrwinMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I knew what the ending would be as soon as I heard Mr. Park Man had an older brother, but oh how fun it was to get there.
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The Agathas by Kathleen GlasgowMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
A bit overlong, but the clues were laid out well ... I just didn't see them until p. 350 or so.
For Grownups
The Good Sister by Sally HepworthMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Totally called one of the twists early on, but it was so well done. I usually rotate my pile of books by reading one chapter / 25 pages of each one in turn, but I finished this in three sittings. Truly a page turner. Fern and Wally's characters are wonderfully depicted.
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