It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 2-26-18

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!

Books I Read this Week:

Best Buds Under Frogs by Leslie Patricelli
Candlewick Press, 2018
288 pages
Realistic Fiction
Recommended for grades 3-5

I've been reading Leslie Patricelli's board books to my boys for a while now, coming to love that awesome little baby with a single strand of hair. I can't recommend her board books enough to my friends with babes. So imagine my excitement upon discovering Patricelli was writing a book with more than 20 words! Turns out she should have started writing middle grade novels long ago! And, she better not stop.

What I love about this one: The friendship struggles are so real. When Lily throws up on her first day at a new school, it can't get any worse. But a kind stranger takes her by the elbow to the nurse's office. Lily is so thankful for the rescue, and begins a friendship with Darby. But here's the thing, Lily can't figure out what is up with Darby. Is she a genuine friend, or not? She does things that seem mean, so Lily finds herself confused about how to navigate this friendship. I loved it because it made me think. Do we have people in our life like Darby? Or not? Would I continue being friends with Darby? Probably. Should Lily? I don't know!
I also love how Lily is far from perfect. Kids don't need to read about perfect kids, they need to read about real kids. Lily is real. 

What I don't love about this one: Nothing. Ha, I just wanted to keep things balanced.

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
First Second, 2018
277 pages
Realistic Fiction
Recommended for grades 7+

Grab this one if you have older readers. There is a scene where the prince drinks too much, so you be the judge on the age you want to recommend this one to. That's the only thing that makes me hesitant about handing it to younger readers.
I have a longer post about this book here, and I really love this one!

Peter & Ernesto: A Tale of Two Sloths by Graham Annable
First Second, 2018
128 pages
Fantasy 
Recommended for grades 3-5

A graphic novel about a couple of sloths, what's not to love? Peter and Ernesto are hanging in the treetop, finding pictures in the clouds. All is perfectly simple and sweet. Until Ernesto gets the great idea to see the WHOLE sky. And sets off. Peter is against the trip, but soon finds he misses his friend too much not to set out after him.

The illustrations are bright and appealing, the story is silly and fun. 

I book talked this one recently and passed it off to a 3rd grade boy. He enjoyed it so much that he was borderline disruptive during independent reading! (hehehe) When he finished, he started it over again. If that's not a genuine thumbs up rating then I don't know what is!

This one hits bookshops in early April.

Up, Down & Other Opposites by Ellsworth Kelly
Phaidon Press, 2018
30 pages
Recommended for ages 1-3

This little beauty showed up at my doorstep out of the blue. What a treat! 
This glossy board book features opposites, of course! Each picture is an original abstract artwork by Ellsworth Kelly, an American painter and sculptor, born in New York in 1923. (Book Biography) The biography in the back is a cool section for the grown-up reader.

I'm Currently Reading:

On Deck:

Blog Tour Post: 3-1-18 Giveaway!

Blog Tour Post: 3-6-18

Blog Tour Post Coming Soon!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great reading week!

Comments

  1. Looks like you have been doing some fabulous reading. Since I have a baby in the house I am always on the lookout for good board books. Thanks to you I discovered that my local library has some of Leslie Patricelli's board books there. I plan to pick a few up tomorrow when I return books. I'm also interested in Best Buds Under Frogs and look forward to reading what you have to say about Granted

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  2. I just discovered that my library has some of Patricelli's board books too so I just requested. The covers are awesome! Her novel that you review here sounds terrific--I'll probably order it because I know my preservice college teachers would like this one. I know I'll cave and buy The Prince and the Dressmaker too. Our campus library has so few graphic novels and my students LOVE them, and it's hard to resist getting books for people who are so eager to read them!

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  3. A good bookseller friend has also recommended The Prince and the Dressmaker to our book club - looking forward to finding it, but I doubt our libraries here in Singapore would make this one available.

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