Monday Reading Recap

              Thanks to Ricki and Kellee at Unleashing Readers and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts for hosting this meme. Your TBR lists will grow longer, but you will find books to love and to share. 

               I spent last week at our mountain condo with my family. It was a special time to read several books and visit and write! Others skied and played in the snow. I reveled in the gorgeous snowy mountains and finished two "must reads" among others, along with preparing for April - Poetry  Month (see below). 

       All the words have been written, and the award has been given. I'm glad to have read this marvelous story of children who use their voices, some a bit slower, but all finally step forward to own and voice their opinions, to take care of themselves and then others. I loved the differences shown in each character, hoping that readers might see something familiar and find hope and affirmation for the unique in everyone.

       I enjoyed this wonderful book thoroughly again. One thing that stood out this time was the honest respect placed in the children to make decisions, something that does not always happen. Adults often believe that children are too young to "understand" things, but clearly, Madeleine L'Engle did not. I also love that she used challenging concepts, pieces from literature. She did "not" make the story simple.

        Oh, I wish I had had this wonderful book when I was teaching. Often, I suggested that students research and write about their names. There are other great books that tell about names, like The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi and one chapter of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, and this one is a very special one. Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela has way too many names: six! She is shown trying to fit her name on a piece of paper that needs an addition. As Alma talks to her Daddy, he begins to tell her about all her names, like "Sofia, her grandmother" who likes books and poetry and of course "Daddy". Alma agrees that she, too, is Sofia who loves books, poetry and her daddy. The stories vary, but soon Alma realizes that indeed, though long, each name fits. We all do wear our names from the past, but Juana Martinez-Neal adds one extra idea at the end that readers will love. 
        Martinez-Neal's muted pencil illustrations feel like sweet stories, with touches of color mostly in Alma's dress and a few other spots. The photo below is of the cover 'inside' the paper cover. I wanted to share how very cute this young Alma is! Thanks to Candlewick for the advanced copy.

         At first, I thought this might have Easter connections, but no, it's just another gorgeously illustrated story from Elise Hurst (remember Imagine A City?) that features a rabbit. This rabbit, Adelaide, once had a beautiful life, but as years went by, she found herself alone. She spent days looking out, capturing in art pieces those "who danced and sighed and dreamed alone". One day she is caught in a storm, sees the fox drop a special book and runs to pick it up for him. He ran on, so Adelaide followed and gave it to him, but not until she had peeked through his window and saw all his drawings, of those she had also noticed, but this time, including herself. Could she make a friend? What she does then is a magical and good thing. It is a story full of beauty and of heart.

Nearly finished: Dear Martin by Nic Stone - Sorry I've put it off so long. It's particularly poignant considering the recent shooting of Stephon Alonzo Clark and of course, too many others. 

What's Next - Between The Lines by Nikki Grimes.