It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 7-30-18

Thanks to our dynamic hosts: Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kelle at Unleashing Readers. Head to either blog to find reviews as well as dozens of links to other blogs filled with reviews and recommendations!

I became a Bookstagrammer today. I'm finding it to be a lot of fun. A totally new way to share the book love. In browsing other accounts I've found that some Bookstagrammers are amazingly talented at creating works of art around the books before snapping pictures. Do not expect to find that on my account ;)
You can find me by searching: bluestockingthinking or A Bluestocking, Thinking

Books I Read this Week:

A Perilous Journey of Danger & Mayhem: A Dastardly Plot by Christopher Healy

Walden Pond Press, September 2018

384 pages

Historical/Sci-Fi/Adventure

Recommended for grades 4-7

I'm going to save the bulk of my review for an upcoming blog tour. I will give you this though: Christopher Healy wrote some badass female characters in the Hero's Guide series, and he's kept that going strong here! You'll meet a series of new courageous, out of the box females. Stay tuned.

Babysitting Nightmares: The Shadow Hand by Kat Shepherd

Imprint, June 2018

199 pages

Fantasy

Recommended for grades 3-6

After several heavier texts I pulled Babysitting Nightmares from the shelf, looking for a little fun. With a diverse cast of characters, this series starter will appeal to many different readers. 

You'll have to trudge through a bit too many descriptions of clothing, hair, skin, accessories, etc. than I find naturally flowed, but maybe preteen girls devour that sort of thing, and I've just forgotten!

The action slinks in slow and creepy in this one, when a window is mysteriously found open in the baby's room. An odd shaped hand print on the sill and the idea of a creature being in the room with an innocent and helpless babe sent chills down my spine. Might be the mom in me.

Things kick up a notch when the baby begins exhibiting strange behavior, leading the girls to research what could be wrong. When all signs point to changeling, the girls will risk everything to get the true baby safely back home. I can't wait to creep some kids out with this one!

Jabberwalking by Juan Felipe Herrera

Candlewick Press, March 2018

144 pages

Poetry

Recommended for grades 4+

What fun! I'm so glad my wide awake in the middle of the night brain chose this one from the 2015-2017 Poet Laureate of the United States.

When you open this book you should expect to be taken by the hand and pulled quickly into a world of fast paced, write it as you think it, poetry. The coolest part, cooler than learning about Herrera throughout the book (which was pretty darn cool) is that he urges you to join in on the fun! As a teacher I felt the ideas literally buzzing around my head. How I would read particular sections, where the students would write, how the experience would shake off some of the fear of making writing perfect. Mostly poetry, autobiographical pages here and there, a dash of odd, and a sprinkle of wild. Really, what are you waiting for?

I'm Currently Reading:

Thanks for stopping by!

The winner of my The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery ARC is Danielle H. 
Book is heading her way tomorrow!