It's Monday! What are you reading? 10-24-16

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 exhausting but rewarding. I had parent-teacher conferences on Wednesday and Thursday, which went really well. The parents at my school are always a pleasure to talk to. Then on Friday this happened:

That's right. I was in the room where it happens.  It is safe to say that Hamilton has ruined musicals for me. Nothing will ever be better than that. By the end, I had tears streaming down my face and I couldn't even cheer for the cast because I was so stunned by what a brilliant work I just witnessed. I was tired by the end of the show, but I didn't care. I wanted to see it all over again. I'm still trying to figure out how I can see it again soon. As if it wasn't hard enough to see it the first time.

Then yesterday, my husband and I participated in our very first 5K. We've been training with the Couch to 5K app all summer and finally ran a 5K. It's hard to believe I went from someone who couldn't even run for 30 second at a time to running a 5K.

You'd think with all the excitement of this past week that I wouldn't have any time to read, but lo and behold, I had a great reading week. Let me share it with you...

I finished reading:

The Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse 
A sold, page-turning historical fiction/mystery

 
 Snow White by Matt Phelan
 An interesting and provocative retelling of Snow White set in the roaring 20s. Instead of seven dwarfs, Snow White encounters a group of seven young rapscallion who try to protect her from her wicked stepmother.


Picture books that stood out in the pile last week:

Pirasaurs! by Josh Funk, illustrated by Michael Slack
Nobody drops dope picture book rhymes better than Josh Funk. He manages to elevate rhyming picture books from cheesy and groan-worthy to cheer inducing and wanting to give him and the person reading the book the biggest hive five ever. 


The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright, illustrated by Jim Field
We all have a little mouse and lion inside us. I'm already thinking of all the ways I can use this book in the library with students. 


Dirty Rats? by  Darrin Lunde, illustrated by Adam Gustavson
After reading a book about the virtues of rats, I'm wondering if maybe the author could write one about mosquitoes, because I can't imagine there being anything to justify the presence of those bloodsuckers on the planet. ;) 


The Top of the World: Climbing Mount Everest by Steve Jenkins 
As much as I find reading books about climbing Mt. Everest fascinating, I also can't help but think that the people who do are straight-up cray. Would be a good non-fiction supplement to give students reading Peak by Roland Smith.  


Saved by the Boats: The Heroic Sea Evacuation of September 11 by Julie Gassman, illustrated by Steve Moors 
As Mr. Rogers says, when bad things happen, look for the helpers. That's just what this book celebrates on the most tragic day in our nation's modern history.


Du Iz Tak? by Carson Ellis  
Told in a completely made-up language, readers in Du Iz Tak will have to spend a lot of time reading the pictures to interpret the story. But with Carson Ellis's beautiful and endearing illustrations, readers will have no problem with that. I could see this book being a Caldecott contender.


Currently Reading:
 
The Light Fantastic by Sarah Combs 


Still reading with my ears:

The Heir by Kiera Cass