It's Monday - Award Day!

              Visit Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts to see what they've been reading, along with others who post their favorites.  Your TBR lists will grow! Happy Reading!

        I have a second post today, sharing a new book that's out next week! Look here!

           The Youth Media Awards are this morning! It's exciting to imagine which books! 

               Deborah's editor showed her a blurred picture of a red jacket, asked if she would like to look into the story, thus began her journey of discovery. It was one that is a heartfelt tribute to courage, in physical and mental acts that defied death. And it is one of heartbreak when so many victims of this tragedy had no chance to show courage, but immediately were lost. Many stories from war have been told, all showing people's brave acts to save others and to save themselves. This is one outstanding one. I am grateful that Deborah Heiligman was curious and dug deep to find the numerous stories surrounding that red jacket. Her research notes are extensive and the small parts included in the book found from meticulous research made the story very real, made the people and their plight come alive on the pages again and again. 

#MustReadin2020 number two!

     If you take off the paper cover, you see the front & back of this book, filled with some clues to what's inside! So fun to see!
      I imagine Aven Green will continue to have power over those who want to take her down, but not without terrible hurt and worry. Starting high school is a huge thing for every.single.student. Now, Aven is starting, this time without Connor who's moved across town, but still with Zion, sticking with her through everything. And yes, there is a lot of "everything" in Dusti Bowling's new, again heartbreaking and heartwarming story about Aven's growing up. It's a book that I hope gets into the hands of every young teen, offering hope and a whole lot of powerful words to remember.

Fun books for the little ones! They're cute with surprises and beautiful to see!

         I have a granddaughter who loves jumping on beds, just like Little Snow. His mother has made such a wonderfully warm and puffy feather bed for him, and it's perfect, for jumping, especially when he's sure his mother is not around to hear. There is a fun surprise at the end, too. It's a darling and pretty book all by Grace Lin.

         Another surprise lies in this book, too. It's fun, a mystery, and what a surprise! Collaged illustrations are gorgeous! The endpapers and double spreads are awesome! 

          Mixed media illustrations by Gus Gordon make the story by Minh Lê "just right". These two do a search for the 'perfect seat' where they can read a story together. 

          I'd had this way too long and enjoyed it. Lisa Rogers tells her own imagined story about William Carlos Williams and that well-known red wheelbarrow with the white chickens. It is a story to admire, and she includes much that is true, like the neighbor who's a good friend, Mr. Marshall, does have a red wheelbarrow that he used to cart around to sell vegetables from his garden. And he does have chickens. But the poem is what William Carlos Williams notices and one can bring one's own meaning to the poem, as we all might when we read it and others. Chuck Groenink's illustrations help tell the tale in the calmness of their muted colors as you can see a touch of on the cover. Rogers adds her own note, a brief bibliography, and a few titles of poems by William Carlos Williams to enjoy. This would inspire a wonderfully interesting conversation about reading poetry.

 
        Well, I loved Thank You, Omu, so knew this would be a wonderful story. I read it to my granddaughters last week and it got them talking about the special times they have with their own mother. That is what this one is about, the carefully planned day, the best thing is being together. A few things happen that force some changes. Still, the only thing that really matters is "the day" and "together"! We not only loved the story, but we also looked at those collaged illustrations, too. They are beautifully done. Oge Mora uses "pieces" of paper to create her pages and they are masterful! 

Now Reading: The First Dinosaur by Ian Lendler. It's taking me a while, but it is fascinating. It's told as if I'm listening to someone sitting right beside me, and learning a lot!