Best Reads T2 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

Linus The Little Yellow Pencil by Scott Magoon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Shared with the art teacher, since kids can be mean about each other's work.




Ginny Goblin Is Not Allowed to Open This Box by David Goodner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

More Ginny Goblin books, please.





Going Down Home with Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sweet.




Hum and Swish by Matt Myers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This may be a last-minute addition to my Mock Caldecott pile. Love the illustrations.


I Want a Dog by Jon Agee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I laughed out loud at the dead fish and the costumed lizard.





The Sad Little Fact by Jonah Winter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Can we send several copies to the White House?




The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cute, but doesn't Barnes know that naptime takes away from Common Core instructional time? Ugh. My students could so use that downtime. So, sadly, unrealistic.




Middle Grade Fiction


  Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wish I had read it when I was younger, but I'm glad to have come across it now. Fun stuff.





Planet Earth Is Blue by Nicole Panteleakos
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I probably should have seen the big reveal coming before I started to suspect it.

I appreciated reading Nova's letters for a chance to better understand what someone with her issues might be thinking trapped behind a wall of communication problems.

p. 221:"It turns out a nova is not an explosion at the end of a star's life, like a supernova. A nova is an explosion on a white dwarf that makes a dull star get brighter and brighter all of a sudden until it is the brightest thing in the sky after the sun and moon, but then it fades back to normal. A supernova kills a star, but not a nova. In a nova, the star survives the explosion. That's me. I survived."


Bad Dad by David Walliams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Definitely Dahl-esque.

Lots to love, including Auntie Flip's volumes of poetry (e.g., "Rhymes About Hand Cream" and "The Joys of Quiche"), bottom humor, Raj's rounding up "best by" dates to the nearest decade, and the wonderful design. So much fun - the written words are part of the action.



Nonfiction


Manhattan: Mapping the Story of an Island by Jennifer Thermes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gorgeous. Well written, bursting with facts, meticulously illustrated.

"The city commissioners had thought it would take centuries to fill the grid with buildings. It only took sixty years."

I want to learn more about Paradise Square falling into the old landfill, Seneca Village, and the Great Blizzard of 1888.

Which One Doesn't Belong?: A Shapes Book by Christopher Danielson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Will add to my 1st grade unit about sorting and categories.



Firefighters' Handbook by Meghan Mccarthy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Straightforward facts that my kids will eat up.




Comics: Easy as ABC!: The Essential Guide to Comics for Kids by Ivan Brunetti
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Really liked the tips and suggestions, but then at the end there were bizarre four-panel comics that didn't seem to be for kids, and it all ended with a giant ad for TOON books.





For Grownups 

  Curious Toys by Elizabeth Hand
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had no idea until I was looking at other reviews that Henry Darger was a real person! Kind of belies the statement at the end of the audiobook that any similarity to charaters living or dead was a coincidence ...

Anyways, I enjoyed listening to this, even though I thought we hadn't been given enough clues at all as to the killer's identity.

Mock Newbery 2020 - Final Voting List

So we're voting tonight. My first choice is at the top.


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."



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.





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."



Sweeping Up the Heart by Kevin Henkes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Beautifully written. We are completely in Amelia's head for a week.

p. 11: "She was moving quickly because she was eager to work, but more to the point she was reinventing her walk, trying to make it faster and more graceful. Purposeful. Her legs had grown so much lately that she felt out of sync, as if her body belonged to someone or something else. And she'd recently decided that she hated her knees."


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."



The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Liked it more than I thought I would. I feel like I need a shelf of child-laborer books to hand to my students when they complain about having to do anything.





Caterpillar Summer by Gillian McDunn
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Kind of generic. And I know I'm supposed to be more sympathetic to Chicken, but my lord he was annoying.






The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James by Ashley Herring Blake
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While collecting Mock Newbery reviews to paste into a blog post, I realized that I evidently never wrote anything about this one. So ... not my favorite.






Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I very much welcomed the return to the breezy narration style of The Wednesday Wars. But ... I was disappointed in the rest. Also, too much cricket.

Wait, let me review the pages in which I stuck bits of paper ..

- Heartily agree with the disgust re: 1% milk
- Laughed at the possible "serial killer" identity of the Butler
- "Evocative connotations" get a plus
- Liked the point made about Loyalists
- Dying to know the relationship of Principal Swieteck to our protagonists of yore
- The Eggplant was a nice touch

Ok, moving up from a 2 to a 3.



Queen of the Sea by Dylan Meconis
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was so excited by the idea of the book, but it was rather boring. Extra star because I appreciate the work that went into it.






Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Hated it. Which was so disappointing. I loved Lai's previous books. Enough people liked it at the last Mock Newbery meeting, though, that I forced myself to finish it. The Kindle said it would take 2 hours. I dragged it out over 2 weeks. Everyone was annoying and the trauma flashbacks were exceedingly traumatic. I am now convinced every itch is a worm.

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.