It was nice to be in my own house and my own rhythms and routines this week. I found a lot more time for reading and had fun getting on my library website to request titles (like I don't have hundreds of books at home to read or anything).
Books I Finished This Week:
Adult Titles--
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld is a book that my sister has been recommending to me for a few years. It has been on the TBR shelf for way too long. I really enjoyed the book and felt drawn in by the story and by the language in the book. The book is set in Wisconsin and I enjoyed the wonderful celebration of the places that I know and love. This is the first book in a long time that really inspired me to go find the post-it tabs so I could mark some passages to share later. The story has me thinking a lot about the things I did as a child in Wisconsin and I love that it really inspired a trip through my own childhood in my mind. I loved the story of how this woman from a small town found herself to be the first lady of the United States. I was moved by the story and by the lyrical writing and I would highly recommend this book.
Graphic Novels--
I read this book in order to join the conversation over at YA lit 101.
I love how Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge really reflects the anxiety of an artist when she sits down to create something. I enjoyed the story, but really thought a lot about the way the creative process is presented in this book. I think that this is one that I would especially recommend to the students in my class that are avid in their writing and/or art. I really identified with Paige in the nervous feelings she had about sharing her sketchbook with the world. I think it is a story that a lot of young people would be able to identify with and I am excited to introduce this book to my students.
I was on my library website searching for other books by Neil Gaiman when I came across this graphic novel. I love the novel and the movie of Coraline, so I was immediately curious about this one. This adaptation is well done and would be a great read for any student who is a fan of the story. I found myself thinking about how this could be a great book to use to work on Integrating Knowledge and Ideas. Students could look at both the graphic novel and the animated movie after reading the novel and analyze the decisions made in each adaptation. The drawings and tone in each adaptation are very different and it would be really interesting to discuss.
Picture Books--
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is a fabulous picture book about the love of books and reading. I can't wait to watch the short film and decide how to use this one in my classroom this fall. I think it might go well with the discussion of seeing ourselves as readers and the reasons people read.
Creepy Carrots was so much fun! This would be a great book to read and discuss manipulation and the power of persuasion. I had a lot of fun reading this one and I know my students would get a kick out of it.
Middle Grade/Young Adult--
The Man Who Was Poe by Avi caught my eye on NetGalley. I love Poe's work and was intrigued by the title and description. This is a fictionalized story set in a fictional world but referring to some of the events in the life of Poe. I really enjoyed the story and it would be a good book to recommend to early fans of Poe's work. There is a mystery involved and Poe actually poses as Dupin to help the young boy figure out what happened to his sister. I loved that the mood of this detective story really reminded me of "The Murders in the Rue Morgue." I recommend this title to grades 6 and up.
This is another fun read from Ally Carter. I am thoroughly enjoying the Gallagher Girls series so far (as I knew I would). I am hoping to read the entire series this summer as well as the Heist Society series so that I can read the crossover novel she published last year.
I FINALLY finished listening to Through the Ever Night. So many feels with this one! I continue to have a book crush on Perry. He is ever so dreamy. I cannot wait for the conclusion of this trilogy. I am so curious about how the story will work out for everyone. I highly recommend this one to teens and adults alike.
What I am currently reading:
I started listening to Will Grayson, Will Grayson this week. I am loving it so far and have laughed out loud multiple times during the first two hours. I am looking forward to listening to more during my workouts this week. I started reading Everyday Editing this weekend as well.
What's Next?
I have a big stack of books from the library to read as well as a bunch of NetGalley titles and a huge bookshelf full of books. There are too many books and way too little time and I will have to play it by ear.
Love Peter Brown and Creepy Carrots! My school was lucky enough to have him visit in May.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed that we can get an ARC of Into the Still Blue at NCTE!! Reading the Gallagher Girls series in on my to-do list as well! I have them here...I think I'll pencil them in for next week!
ReplyDeleteGetting an ARC of Into the Still Blue at NCTE would be awesome! I thought you would have read the Gallagher Girls series already seeing as how it is your crush on the boy in The Heist Society that triggered my need to read both series ;) Hope you enjoy them.
DeleteI hadn't heard of THE MAN WHO WAS POE. Thanks so much for sharing about it. I am also a huge Poe fan. This would make for a great addition to a Poe unit. I hope you have a great reading week!
ReplyDeleteYou've been busy! I love The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore and really enjoyed Creepy Carrots. The Man Who Was Poe has been on my shelf for ages, but I've never read it. Not sure I'll get to it this week, though. The Water Castle just arrived, so that's next for me. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteCatherine
Page by Paige seems interesting. I've seen it around and it sounds like something I would enjoy and appreciate. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is great in any format. I like your ideas of how to incorporate it in your classroom.
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