Happy Monday! It's Monday, What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR
Middle Grade Must Reads:
Lately I’ve been diving into the backlist of books that I didn’t get around to reading when they were new or newer in the kidlit scene. I’m currently finishing up The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill. Looking at reviews of the book, I see that there are a large number of readers who thought the book was 5 star worthy. I did see an occasional 3 star review. I am not ready to give it a rating at this time since I’m only about half way through but I can say that I am enjoying Barnhill’s writing style, world building, and character development.
Picture Book Picks:
I’ve read some outstanding picture books lately! Here are two of my favorites.
Being that I am a “pug mom,” I preordered this book as soon as I saw it on social media. Bug on the Rug, written by Sophia Gholz and illustrated by Susan Batori is a great read aloud with lots of fun word play! Pug has made himself comfortable on the rug but then along comes bug, wanting to claim the rug for himself. Pug and bug are in for a battle, until slug comes along to mediate. So much to read in rhymes, about pug and bug’s battle for the rug! Adorable and funny illustrations capture the reader’s heart and funny bone! Bright and bold pictures work perfectly with the sparing text, to cohesively tell of pug and bug’s adventure on the rug! Bug on the Rug has earned a special place on my, “picture books about pugs” shelf! Read this book aloud and afterwards have a blast playing with rhyming words and word families. This a great read aloud for pre-kindergarten through grade three.
Poetry Break!
(if you are not currently familiar with Poetry Breaks, check out my first blog, Mrs Merrill's Book Break, to read about them! For #IMWAYR, a Poetry Break is a poetry book that I am reading and loving)
I’m in love with this poetry/picture book, written by Eric Ode and illustrated by Jieting Chen. Stop that Poem! Is a poem that is constructed as the reader is taken on a whimsical journey throughout an ordinary day in an ordinary neighborhood. A young girl wheels a wagon, full of words to a yard, where she stacks her words to make a poem. Soon her words are carried away with the wind. “Stop that poem!” the girl and her friend shout. The words are scattered throughout the neighborhood and new lines in the poem are crafted at each scene; a pond, a clothesline, a tree, and other neighborhood locations. The artwork has more muted background colors, with brighter pops of color in the foreground, that draws the reader into the illustrations. Pair this poem picture book with word cards and a clothesline for children to craft and create their own original poems. This is the perfect read aloud for anytime but especially now, during National Poetry Month!
Until next time, Happy Reading and . . . I hope your heart strings connect with something wonderful you read!
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My previous blog: Mrs. Merrill's Book Break!
The Girl Who Drank the Moon was okay, but it has not circulated well at all in my middle school library. There's a certain type of semi-historical fantasy that just stays on the shelf no matter how much I recommend it. Her new book has gotten a lot of love as well.
ReplyDeleteI liked The Girl Who Drank The Moon very much, a magical tale of love despite the evil. I like reading about the other too, nothing funnier to imagine than a slug as mediator. The poetry book , wow, so many out, sounds lovely. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteStop That Poem! sounds wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI am one of those who gave The Girl Who Drank The Moon five stars. The rest of these look wonderful too.
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