It's Monday! What are you reading? 11-30-2020

  

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:

The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person by Frederick Joseph

In an enjoyable but firm conversational tone, Frederick Joseph designed this book to be frank with readers, the way a good friend might be if you did something unintentionally hurtful and now must make amends. It's no longer ok for white people to be oblivious and "color blind" to race, and Frederick Joseph lays out why that is in The Black Friend. Sometimes People March by Tessa Allen A timely and timeless book that speaks to the democratic value of the right to protest On Account of the Gum by Adam Rex A humorous cumulative tale that would be perfect for fans of Stuck by Oliver Jeffers Carmen and the House That Gaudi Built by Susan Hughes, illustrated by Marianne Ferrer A fictional story based on fact, revolving around the work of the famous and beloved architect Antoni Gaudi. Thao by Thao Lam An innovative picture book about the frustrations of having a name that most Americans don't know how to pronounce so instead make a mockery of. Pair this book with Your Name is a Song to discuss the sacredness of names and the need to learn them rather than feign ignorance. My only criticism is that I wanted the book to be longer. Just as I was leaning in and loving the story, I felt like it ended. I Am! Affirmations for Resilience by Bela Barbosa and Edal Rodriguez A brief and profound mindfulness meditation for young children and even not-so-young children (and maybe even some adults too) My First Day by Phung Nguyen Quang, illustrated by Huyuh Kim Lien A gorgeous tale about an unusual (for Americans) but typical (for a Vietnamese child living along the Mekong River) trip to school. I wish the illustrator lived in the U.S. because I would love to see this book eligible for the 2022 Caldecott. The Problem with Problems by Rachel Rooney, illustrated by Zehra Hicks Charming rhyming text that addresses problems as adorable creatures that are more easily addressed than we think they are. A sweet and empowering way for kids to face their problems head-on. Lubaya's Quiet Roar by Marilyn Nelson, illustrated by Philemona Williamson Teachers, can we talk? How can we honor our introverts and quiet thinkers in the classroom without forcing their loud and vocal participation? When I read Quiet by Susan Cain many years ago, I realized that the world caters to and accommodates extroverts and forces introverts to try to change to be loud and brash and overly assertive in sharing their opinions. That’s not how introverts operate. And we need to live in a world that makes space for both the quiet and the loud thinkers. I’m CONSTANTLY thinking of ways to honor the Lubayas in my classroom. I want them to find ways to feel comfortable sharing their views and being part of the discussion while not forcing it on them. Because sometimes their quiet presence can be just as profound and influential as the extroverts. Currently reading:  The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine N. Aron Currently reading with my ears: Early Departures by Justin A. Reynolds