Monday Reading Update, February 10, 2020

I am pleased to link up another post courtesy of the women at Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers, our gracious hosts. It was another pretty good reading week, but the highlight was talking with several authors over Skype and listening to them share thoughts with my students as part of World Read Aloud Day. We were very fortunate to virtually host Tracey West, known in my school for her early chapter series Dragon Masters, MG author Jenn Bishop, and lastly picture book author/illustrator Juana Martinez Neal. In between organizing these Skypes, I did manage to read a few books that I am able to share here.

Books I Enjoyed This Week

I was very eager to read this and grateful that my wife was able to pre-order it for her library. I am not (budget issues) but might have to order it for my classroom anyways. This continues to be a great series for all elementary readers. The series still has humour, and as long as Polly the warrior cat is around it surely will, but there is a lot more world building and flashback scenes as we see how “All the Pieces Fit.” When I eventually get this in my school there will be a long line-up.

Nino wants to be super, and in his imagination he does things that are larger than life, because he thinks that is what must be done to be super. His parents remind him that he needs to do everyday average things like cleaning his room and helping around the house. At first, he feels these chores and everything else, need to be done in a boisterous fashion. As the day progresses he continues to learn from those around him that being careful, gentle and kind can be super too. Also, that one can be quiet, and super as well. I think the message here is a really positive one that young readers might need a little help with in terms of its subtle nature (which makes for a great read aloud). I was grateful for an e-ARC of this book that my ARC sharing group Book Portage was given by the publisher. When I get a copy, I am curious to see how many little readers are distracted by the idea of having loud super powers and by the beauty in the illustration to notice a couple small changes to Nino’s face that show he learns the lesson.

More fast paced adventures, colourful villains and twists ‘n turns a plenty in this, the second of the Legends of the Lost Causes series. The series is a magical/fantasy/western in which a group of faithful friends try to figure out how their strengths can help them keep their world safe. This series has been a real page turner at my school so far as grade 6/7s have been eager to fly through the first volume. The second story will leave my hands and go straight into a student’s. Not sure this one will be shelved for a while.

Currently Reading

I am just starting Stamped, which I put down for a week while catching up on some books that I had to finish to pass back to kids, and in one case read with a child, but I should focus on this book now. My family and I are more than half way through The House of Hades, and I hope to finish The Mad Wolf’s Daughter leading up to my class using it in the literature circles. Both of these are re-reads for me.

On Deck Reading

I hope to finish an ARC that I got through NetGalley and a couple of other Canadian books leading up to I Read Canadian Day on the 19th. Thanks for stopping by my blog and I hope you have a great reading week!