It's here! Summer! Reading! Bookaday!
Here's a quick look at some books I have read so far this summer! Remember, you can get updates on Goodreads and Twitter as well.
My first read this summer was Soldier Dog by Sam Angus. I had to take this one slowly due to my pitiful lack of background knowledge about World War I. However, Soldier, Bones, and Pistol (the war dogs) kept me engaged and reading until the very end which did NOT disappoint.
I will gladly hand this novel to my eighth graders in the fall. The vocabulary is challenging; I don't think I would have handed Soldier Dog to one of my sixth graders last year without support.
This is definitely a Kleenex book--you will want to keep the tissues handy while reading this one.
I have read many many many picture books already. These were just pure fun!
A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant
Nino Wrestles the World by Yuyi Morales (Click HERE to watch and listen as Yuyi reads her book.)
Little Red Writing by Joan Holub (Click HERE to read a review on the Nerdy Book Club site.)
Carnivores by Aaron Reynolds
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
America the Beautiful: Together We Stand by Katharine Lee Bates
Battle Bunny by Jon Scieszka (Click HERE to watch the book trailer.)
Open This Little Book by Jesse Klausmeier
Warning: Do Not Open This Book by Adam Lehrhaupt (Click HERE to watch the book trailer.)
As Fast As Words Could Fly by Pamela M. Tuck
Tea Rex by Molly Idle (Click HERE to watch the book trailer.)
Ike's Incredible Ink by Brianne Farley
The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever by H. Joseph Hopkins
Look Up! The Story of the First Woman Astronomer by Robert Burleigh
Ann and Nan are Anagrams: A Mixed-Up Word Dilemma by Mark Shulman (Read a review on Jen Robinson's Book Page HERE.)
Xander's Panda Party by Linda Sue Park (Watch the book trailer HERE.)
The Hueys in...It Wasn't Me by Oliver Jeffers
Moonday by Adam Rex
Linus the Vegetarian T-Rex by Robert Neubecker
The Great Lollipop Caper by Dan Krall (Click HERE to watch the book trailer.)
Secret Pizza Party by Adam Rubin
The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier was just the right kind of creepy read! I can't wait to share this book with students in the fall. It reminded me of Juniper Berry by M.P. Kozlowsky. Click HERE to visit the author's blog where he shares a list of songs that helped him finish writing The Night Gardener. Fantastic!
Bluffton has been on my TBR list for a while. This was an enjoyable read by Matt Phelan. Bluffton is a historical fiction graphic novel that I will definitely have my eighth graders put on their own TBR lists.
Looking for a good sports read? Swagger by Carl Deuker is a fantastic story with powerful messages. Short chapters will allow readers to slide into the story and travel with Jonas to his new town and new school. Readers will be drawn into Jonas's story and will have a hard time putting this one down. Swagger will absolutely be one of the first books I book talk to my eighth graders.
Yes, I FINALLY read John Green's The Fault in Our Stars. I read this one so that I could talk with my students in the fall about Hazel and Gus. I can see why teens have latched onto this story. Click HERE to read John Green's answers to questions about this book. Spoilers are included, so don't read unless you have finished the book.
The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan was a powerful story about family, bullying, and first love. This novel in verse will be a good mentor text for poetry writing and writing notebook entries for my students.
As you can see...summer is for reading! What books have you read lately?
Happy Reading!
Mrs. T
P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!
