It's Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA

[To rehash the concept :: post what you read last week, what you're reading now, and what you plan to read this week. If you have a review of the book(s), great! If you have a picture of the book(s), wonderful! If you have a book giveaway, fantastic! If you just list the title(s) of the book(s), not a problem! Make it as simple or as complex as you need it to be. At least, that's the message I got. This version of the meme is hosted by Jen and Kellee of Teach Mentor Text, which, in turn, was inspired by Sheila over at Book Journey, who hosts the original It's Monday! What Are You Reading?]

WHAT I READ LAST WEEK:

Ballet Cat: The Totally Secret Secret by Bob Shea (publication date: May 5, 2015)

If You Give a Dog a Donut by Laura Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond

I Really Want a Dog by Susan Breslow and Sally Blakmore, illustrated by True Kelley

Juneteenth for Mazie by Floyd Cooper

One Pup's Up by Marsha Wilson Chall, illustrated by Henry Cole

乙嫁語り 7巻 (Otoyomegatari, or A Bride's Story, Volume 7) by 森 薫 (Kaoru Mori)

Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula by Andi Watson

Whale Trails, Before and Now by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by G. Brian Karas

Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh by Sally M. Walker, illustrated by Jonathan D. Voss

WHAT I'M READING NOW:

Kid President's Guide to Being Awesome by Robby Novak and Brad Montague

Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee

WHAT'S ON HOLD RIGHT NOW:

Finding Serendipity by Angelica Banks (aka Heather Rose and Danielle Wood)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA

[To rehash the concept :: post what you read last week, what you're reading now, and what you plan to read this week. If you have a review of the book(s), great! If you have a picture of the book(s), wonderful! If you have a book giveaway, fantastic! If you just list the title(s) of the book(s), not a problem! Make it as simple or as complex as you need it to be. At least, that's the message I got. This version of the meme is hosted by Jen and Kellee of Teach Mentor Text, which, in turn, was inspired by Sheila over at Book Journey, who hosts the original It's Monday! What Are You Reading?]

WHAT I READ LAST WEEK:

Catch That Cookie! by Hallie Durand, illustrated by David Small

Digging a Hole to Heaven: Coal Miner Boys by S. D. Nelson

Greenglass House by Kate Milford

 

 

Wandering Son: Volume Two, Three, Four, and Five by Shimura Takako (志村 貴子), translated by Matt Thorn

WHAT I'M READING NOW:

Monstrous Affections: An Anthology of Beastly Tales edited by Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant

WHAT'S ON HOLD RIGHT NOW:

Finding Serendipity by Angelica Banks (aka Heather Rose and Danielle Wood)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA

I read a wide variety of books this week, mostly because I'm preparing for a parent workshop I'm conducting at the temporary shelter I do read-alouds at. There are a lot of "littles" at this shelter so the focus is on interactive books, mostly for young readers (under the age of 8). 

I also caught up with some comics reading, having bought new issues of Gotham Academy, Thor, and The Sandman: Overture. I have mixed feelings about this: I miss buying comics every month, but my wallet -- and probably my husband -- were thankful for the recent purchasing reprieve. I really am trying to minimize shopping and accumulating new things (even my beloved books) but it's hard!

Also in this week's mix are two books that aren't specifically geared towards young adults: the aforementioned The Sandman by Neil Gaiman and The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami. But both would appeal to the right teen reader (there's no gratuitous violence, sex, or cursing).

I was particularly taken with two very different books this week. The first, Before After, is a wordless concept book that I think is really great, and I'm going to emphasize heavily during my workshop. The second, Wandering Son, is a Japanese manga (translated) that gently tells the story of two 5th grade transgender kids. You don't see that kind of story very often, and I'm guessing that many Western readers might be surprised that it's a topic covered in a Japanese book. I only read the first volume so I'm eager to check out the rest of the series at the library.

[To rehash the concept :: post what you read last week, what you're reading now, and what you plan to read this week. If you have a review of the book(s), great! If you have a picture of the book(s), wonderful! If you have a book giveaway, fantastic! If you just list the title(s) of the book(s), not a problem! Make it as simple or as complex as you need it to be. At least, that's the message I got. This version of the meme is hosted by Jen and Kellee of Teach Mentor Text, which, in turn, was inspired by Sheila over at Book Journey, who hosts the original It's Monday! What Are You Reading?]

WHAT I READ LAST WEEK:

Bath Time! by Sandra Boynton

Before After by by Matthias Arégui and Anne-Margot Ramstein

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

Gotham Academy, Issue #4 & #5 by Becky Cloonan and Brenden Fletcher, illustrated by Karl Kerschl

The Itsy-Bitsy Spider illustrated by Paige Billin-Frye

Look-Alikes: The More You Look, the More You See! by Joan Steiner, photography by Thomas Lindley

Looking Good! ¡Lucir bien! by Jess Stockham

Mix It Up! by Hervé Tullet

Park: A Fold-Out Book in Four Seasons by James Gulliver Hancock

Press Here by Hervé Tullet

The Sandman: Overture #4 by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by J.H. Williams III 

Silly Faces - See Me...Go! by Bénédicte Guettier

The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami, translated by Ted Goossen, designed by Chip Kidd

Touch and Feel: Kitten by Joanna Bricknell

Wandering Son: Volume One (放浪息子 1) by Shimura Takako (志村 貴子), translated by Matt Thorn

We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems

Who Hops? ¿Quién salta? by Katie Davis

Who's That, Baby? by Susan Amerikaner

WHAT I'M READING NOW:

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier

WHAT'S ON HOLD RIGHT NOW:

Finding Serendipity by Angelica Banks (aka Heather Rose and Danielle Wood)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA

It appears that I'm reading for African-American History Month, but it was a bit coincidental that many of the books I put on hold at the library fit the month. You might've also noticed that I'm on a bit of a Christian Robinson kick. The man's artistic style is adorable; simple but still has dimension and depth to it.

I liked a lot of this week's books, but This Book Just Ate My Dog! by Richard Byrne made me laugh out loud in the bookstore. Just sayin'.

[To rehash the concept :: post what you read last week, what you're reading now, and what you plan to read this week. If you have a review of the book(s), great! If you have a picture of the book(s), wonderful! If you have a book giveaway, fantastic! If you just list the title(s) of the book(s), not a problem! Make it as simple or as complex as you need it to be. At least, that's the message I got. This version of the meme is hosted by Jen and Kellee of Teach Mentor Text, which, in turn, was inspired by Sheila over at Book Journey, who hosts the original It's Monday! What Are You Reading?]

WHAT I READ LAST WEEK:

Anna Hibiscus' Song by Atinuke, illustrated by Lauren Tobia

The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage by Selina Alko, illustrated by Selina Alko and Sean Qualls

Earmuffs for Everyone!: How Chester Greenwood Became Known as the Inventor of Earmuffs by Meghan McCarthy

Giant Dance Party by Betsy Bird, illustrated by Brandon Dorman

Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker by Patricia Hruby Powell, illustrated by Christian Robinson

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson

Noodle Magic by Roseanne Greenfield Thong, illustrated by Meilo So

Olympians #3, Hera: The Goddess and Her Glory by George O'Connor

Rain! by Linda Ashman, illustrated by Christian Robinson

This Book Just Ate My Dog! by Richard Byrne

WHAT'S ON HOLD RIGHT NOW:

Finding Serendipity by Angelica Banks (aka Heather Rose and Danielle Wood)