Every Most Mondays, I send out a #booksaroundtheroom via Twitter, so my students can share what they’re reading with the world. “It’s Monday! What are you Reading?” is a meme co-hosted by Jen and Kellee at Teach Mentor Texts. Just like #booksaroundtheroom, it is a way to share books you’ve been reading, reviewing, and loving during the last week. I read a lot, both on my own and with my two kids, Corbchops (1777 days) and The Iza (1022 days). I’m excited to hear what you’ve been reading.
I feel like I read a lot this week. And I did! I had a field trip to Woodland Park Zoo, so I got to spend three bus-hours reading, and I squeezed in a few chapters in the open air tropical bird area. I love that spot. It was extra special this year, because I got pooped on by some tropical aviator and ran into Kim Baker. Tell me, how many people in the world have been hit by bird poop while talking to Kim Baker. I bet I’m the only one!
I’m super-excited about Screen Free Week this week. I’ve celebrated it for years, since it was called TV Turn Off Week. I’m excited that it is getting so much attention this year. Now we have so many screens, it can be difficult to shut them all away. I’ll miss my Twitter friends, and my RSS feed will be super overloaded by May 6, but I will “recover.” I hope you’ll join me.
Here’s what I’ve enjoyed during the last week:
Middle Grade:
I finished two middle grade novels last week. That’s all.
- We Give a Squid a Wedgie, by C. Alexander London. I loved this third installment in the Accidental Adventure series. I thought it was the funniest yet.
- Lucy Rose: Busy Like You Can’t Believe, by Katy Kelly. I picked this up because it has illustrations by Adam Rex, but I loved Lucy. It was kind of like a stream of consciousness chapter book. Funny.
Graphic Novels:
I finished one graphic novel last week. I love graphic novels!
- Flight, Vol. 7, edited by Kazu Kibuishi. I love Kazu’s short story anthologies. These ones slant to an older audience, maybe middle school and up. Lots of good stuff in here.
Poetry:
I finished one book of poetry this week. I hardly read any poetry, so that was good!
- Follow Follow, by Marilyn Singer. I am still amazed by these reverso poems. They are mind-blowing!
Picture Books:
I read 11 picture books last week. My favorite three were:
- Lemons Are Not Red and Black? White! Day? Night! A Book of Opposites, by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. I’ve been getting a bunch of LVS books from the library. She is pretty crafty with her flaps and die-cuts.
- Owly & Wormy, Friends All A-Flutter, by Andy Runton. I love the Owly graphic novels. The picture books are not quite as good, but they’re fun.
Professional Reading:
I’ve really enjoyed reading more professional texts this year. I spent way too many years not reading them. I finished one last week.
- Energize Research Reading and Writing, by Christopher Lehman. I’ve been putting Chris’s ideas into practice in my classroom since I started reading his book. It’s a little bumpy, but we’re learning a lot and trying out plenty of new things. That’s what it’s all about!
Reviewed:
On the TMCE Guys Read blog, I reviewed The Giant and How He Humbugged America, by Jim Murphy.
AND
Right now When I finish this blog post, I’m reading:
Rebel McKenzie, by Candace Ransom
SO
What are you reading? And how do you plan to spend your Screen Free Week?