It's Monday! What are you reading? 9-27-21

It's Monday! What are you reading? Is a wonderful community of readers, teachers, and librarians. Hosted by Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers, participants share their reading adventures from the past week along with their reading plans for the week ahead.

My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.

Hi friends! Over on TikTok this week, I was busy making some fun book-related videos:

@bibliophilebeth

But also, I’m gonna interrogate you about your likes and dislikes cuz I got lots of recommendations but we’re gonna need to narrow it down ##booktok

♬ Its What I Do by teezeesounds - teezeesounds

@bibliophilebeth

When you have to replenish book displays after 7th grade leaves ##happylibrarian ##librariansoftiktok ##schoollibrarian ##booktok

♬ Happy - Pharrell Williams

Last week I read and enjoyed:

When We Make It by Elizabet Velasquez

Fans of Elizabeth Acevedo will devour this novel in verse by Elisabet Velasquez. This is the story of Sarai and the daily struggles of living in poverty in Brooklyn as the child of first generation Puerto Ricans. The writing in this novel in verse is beautiful; I particularly love that Velasquez uses Spanglish throughout the narrative, but doesn't feel compelled to translate for her monolingual readers, choosing instead to ask them to use context clues or to seek the translations on their own. While the writing was beautiful and kept me turning pages, the story is a difficult read and one that felt short on hope, which is ultimately why it took me longer to read this book than it typically does for a novel in verse. Sarai's family situation -- an emotionally distant mother in addition to their dire financial situation-- is one that many young (and not-so-young) readers will certainly identify with, but doesn't make it any less difficult to read about. I chalk this up to a book that is a necessary but difficult read. Nina: A Story of Nina Simone by Traci N. Todd, illustrated by Christian Robinson A stunning tribute to Nina Simone. The writing is engaging while the pictures draw you in and beg you to pore over them and ask questions. I could totally see a Caldecott sticker on this in January. Magic Like That by Samara Cole Doyon, illustrated by Geneva Bowers A book filled with all kinds of Black Girl Magic as a young girl admires all the ways her hair is adaptable as it is styled by her mama.

The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London's Poop Pollution Problem by Colleen Paeff, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter

Kids love reading about poop. And this book pairs poop with a water-borne disease epidemic that is certain to make this an interesting and timely read for kids. War by Jose Jorge and Andrea Letria With both spare text and illustrations, and each page a new metaphor for war, this book will get (older) kids thinking about the toll and cost of war and lead to fruitful discussions. Currently reading: The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy by Anne Ursu Currently reading with my ears:  Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai

It's Monday! What are you reading? 9-20-21

It's Monday! What are you reading? Is a wonderful community of readers, teachers, and librarians. Hosted by Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers, participants share their reading adventures from the past week along with their reading plans for the week ahead.

My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.

I recently read and loved:

When I See Red by Britta Teckentrup

A book that reflects on the importance of embracing anger as a healthy emotion when it is worked through in healthy ways. I love that the message of this book is that no longer should women and girls show only pleasant emotions, but that anger is helpful and can even make you powerful. Dear Librarian by Lydia M. Sigwarth, illustrated Romina Galotta The story this book is based on was featured on NPR's This American life. If you love libraries and librarians, this book will make you tear up. Change Sings by Amanda Gorman, illustrated by Loren Long Amanda Gorman writes a moving testament to inclusivity and embracing change. This beautiful story begins with one young girl playing her song with just a guitar, and as the story progresses, many different faces, voices, and instruments join her as a reminder that our diversity is what makes us great. A Song of Frutas by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Sara Palacios A young girl helps her grandfather sell fruit when she visits him in Cuba. Don't miss the author's note at the end which gives great background on what inspired the author to write the book in Spanglish from the travel restrictions that families must endure as a result of our strained relationship with Cuba. Sharice's Big Voice: A Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman by Sharice Davids & Nancy L. Mays, illustrated by Joshua Mangeshing Pawis-Steckley A wonderful and engaging picture book biography of one of the first Native American women to be elected to Congress. Negative Cat by Sophie Blackall When a young boy pesters his parents for a cat, they finally give in, but are disappointed that the cat they bring home and name Max is a “negative cat.” So the family considers sending him back to the shelter, until the young boy discovers something special and redeeming about Max… Currently reading: When We Make It by Elizabet Velasquez Currently reading with my ears: When You Ask Me Where I'm Going by Jasmin Kaur

It's Monday! What are you reading? 8-30-21

 

It's Monday! What are you reading? Is a wonderful community of readers, teachers, and librarians. Hosted by Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers, participants share their reading adventures from the past week along with their reading plans for the week ahead.

My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.

Last week was the start of the school year and I began year 15 back in the library:

@bibliophilebeth

Tomorrow starts year 15 of teachcing and I’m back in my happy place ##schollibrary ##schoollibrarian ##booktok ##kidlit

♬ I Love Your Smile - Shanice

I also got some amazing books that arrived on my front porch:

@bibliophilebeth

Book mail from Prestel ##booktok ##kidlit ##booktalk ##picturebooks

♬ Blackbird - Acoustic Guitar Revival

@bibliophilebeth

Today’s bookmail ##booktok ##bookmail ##bookmailisthebestmail ##schoollibrarian

♬ Wii Shop Channel - McTweet

And this was by far the best bookmail that arrived last week:

@bibliophilebeth

I got an amazing shipment from @penguinrandomhouse today – a brand new picture book from Amanda Gorman

♬ Send Me on My Way - Guy Meets Girl

Amanda Gorman writes a moving testament to inclusivity and embracing change. This beautiful story begins with one young girl playing her song with just a guitar, and as the story progresses, many different faces, voices, and instruments join her as a reminder that our diversity is what makes us great.

Currently (still) reading: 

Genius Hour: Passion Projects That Ignite Innovation and Student Inquiry by Andi McNair

Currently (still) reading with my ears:

Black Enough edited by Ibi Zoboi

One last thing: I posted this last week, but it deserves another mention... if you are a teacher or librarian and have created an Amazon wishlilst for your classroom that is filled with books, I would encourage you to see if your local independent bookstore (if you have one) has a wishlist feature on their website and create one with them. While I am an Amazon affiliate, I also recognize the importance of supporting independent bookstores and so I created a wishlist on my local indie's website, Nicola's Books. Nicola's has been a fixture in my community and has hosted many wonderful author events over the years. Not to mention they are a five minute drive from my house, so I can get the books I need in less time than it would take for Amazon Prime to deliver it to my house. 

Anyway, that's just a thought. I know not everyone has a local independent bookstore in their community.  

It's Monday! What are you reading? 8-23-21

It's Monday! What are you reading? Is a wonderful community of readers, teachers, and librarians. Hosted by Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers, participants share their reading adventures from the past week along with their reading plans for the week ahead.

My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.

Hello, friends! I hope you all are safe and healthy as another pandemic school year begins. I'm excited to be back in the library this year, as I went back to teaching 8th grade English last year out of necessity. 

Here's what I've been up to in my reading the past few weeks:

TikTok Book Talks:

A Boy Named Isamu

@bibliophilebeth

##BookTalk: A BOY NAMED ISAMU by James Yang ##picturebook ##booktok ##kidlit

♬ (Without rain) Jazz Lo-fi chill out(875940) - Hazumi

A picture book biography of Bob Ross

@bibliophilebeth

If you’re ever looking for a biography of Bob Ross, you can thank me (my student, actually) later. ##foryoupage ##fyp ##happylittletrees ##bobross ##kidlit

♬ Comical and a little silly carefree music(831995) - Etsuo Kawasaki

I recently read and enjoyed:

The Genius Under the Table by Eugene Yelchin

Eugene (Yevgeny) Yelchin grew up under the oppressive communist regime in Soviet Russia and this is his memoir of his childhood growing up in a communal apartment with one of his neighbors being an informant to the KGB and the pressure his parents put on him to have a talent that would eventually help give his family some upward mobility. When Lola Visits by Michelle Sterling, illustrated by Aaron Asis A young girl's grandmother (lola) visits from the Philippines and she thinks about all the ways she knows it's summer, particularly the way summer smells. A wonderful mentor text to use with students about sensory writing. Isobel Adds It Up by Kristy Everington, illustrated by A.G. Ford Isobel loves math and loves doing her homework, but her new noisy neighbors are making that difficult for her. So one day she decides you can catch more flies with honey and sends them a letter. What she discovers next soon surprises her... A lovely and fun story about the power of dealing with conflict head-on. Not Little by Maya Myers, illustrated by Hyewon Yum Dot may be small and have a small name but she's not little. One day she meets a new student in her class who may be even smaller than her. Sam gets picked on by another student and she decides she will have none of that...

Currently reading: 

Genius Hour: Passion Projects That Ignite Innovation and Student Inquiry by Andi McNair

Currently reading with my ears:

Black Enough edited by Ibi Zoboi

One last thing: if you are a teacher or librarian and have created an Amazon wishlilst for your classroom that is filled with books, I would encourage you to see if your local independent bookstore (if you have one) has a wishlist feature on their website and create one with them. While I am an Amazon affiliate, I also recognize the importance of supporting independent bookstores and so I created a wishlist on my local indie's website, Nicola's Books. Nicola's has been a fixture in my community and has hosted many wonderful author events over the years. Not to mention they are a five minute drive from my house, so I can get the books I need in less time than it would take for Amazon Prime to deliver it to my house. 

Anyway, that's just a thought. I know not everyone has a local independent bookstore in their community. 

It's Monday! What are you reading? 7-19-21

 

It's Monday! What are you reading? Is a wonderful community of readers, teachers, and librarians. Hosted by Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers, participants share their reading adventures from the past week along with their reading plans for the week ahead.

My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.

I've been playing around with TikTok more in recent days and am working to do some booktalks over there. Here is my booktalk of Our Subway Baby by Peter Mercurio, illustrated by Leo Espinosa

@bibliophilebeth

Picture book talk: OUR SUBWAY BABY by Peter Mercurio ##booktok ##picturebook ##kidlit ##booktalk ##schoollibrarian

♬ _Cute - Gabe Lost

Last week I read and enjoyed: 

Dr. Fauci: How a Boy from Brooklyn Became America's Doctor by Kate Messner, illustrated by Alexandra Bye

Excellent biography and the backmatter at the end is particularly great. It definitely helped that Kate Messner was able to interview Dr. Fauci, which provided necessary background and context for this book.

Making a Baby by Rachel Greener, illustrated by Clare Owen

An excellent and inclusive resource for parents when the inevitable “where do babies come from?” question arises.

Small Room Big Dreams: The Journey of Julian and Joaquin Castro by Monica Brown, illustrated by Mirelle Ortega

Excellent picture book biography on the Castro brothers. Highly recommend.

Currently (still) reading:

Instructions of Dancing by Nicola Yoon

Currently (still) reading with my ears: 

Denis Ever After by Tony Abbott

It's Monday! What are you reading? 7-12-21

 

It's Monday! What are you reading? Is a wonderful community of readers, teachers, and librarians. Hosted by Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers, participants share their reading adventures from the past week along with their reading plans for the week ahead.

My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.

Hello, friends! I hope you had a fantastic week. I know I did. My husband and I welcomed a new dog to our family. Her name is Hazel Grace, she is a one-year-old French Bulldog and I am obsessed with her. 

When it comes to bookish stuff, feel free to follow me on TikTok, @bibliophilebeth. I've been playing around with that account more lately and am having a lot of fun with it (though books have taken a backseat to dog videos as of this week). 

Last week I read and loved:

Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham

A beautiful exploration of what life during the COVID-19 pandemic and will help children process all that has happened in the past year and a half by easing into the conversation through the gentle artwork and quiet text. This Very Tree: A Story of Resilience, Community and 9/11 by Sean Rubin Grab your tissues for this one. This beautiful story of the tree that survived the fall of the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001 will take your breath away and bring tears to your eyes. Enough is Enough by Barney Saltzberg A book that honors the introvert's need to get away to be alone and recharge in knowing when to say enough is enough Our Shed: A Father-Daughter Building Story by Robert Broder, illustrated by Carrie O'Neill A father and daughter build a shed together and see the fruits of their labor over the years Currently reading: Instructions of Dancing by Nicola Yoon Currently reading with my ears:  Denis Ever After by Tony Abbott

It's Monday! What are you reading? 6-28-21

 

It's Monday! What are you reading? Is a wonderful community of readers, teachers, and librarians. Hosted by Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers, participants share their reading adventures from the past week along with their reading plans for the week ahead.

My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.

Well hello again, friends. Look at me doing an It's Monday post two weeks in a row. Perhaps I'm getting back in the groove of this blogging thing. Speaking of getting back in the groove of blogging, I wrote and posted two book reviews last week, check them out: 

Hear My Voice: The Testimonies of Children Detained at the Southern Border of the United States, compiled by Warren Binford for Project Amplify 

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green

Currently reading: 

Instructions of Dancing by Nicola Yoon

Currently reading with my ears: 

Sure, I'll Be Your Black Friend: Notes from the Other Side of the Fist Bump by Ben Philippe