It's Monday - July Reading

              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!
          Share with the hashtag #IMWAYR     

      It's my first post since June. As I wrote last, I hope everyone is doing beautifully despite the tough news day by day. I took the month off planning to get to the beach as I have every summer for a long time. Sadly, I felt I had to cancel, too wary of the virus. I have been busy reading, wondered how I would share all of it. I'm going to list the books with brief descriptions and links to my reviews on Goodreads. I haven't read as much as I thought I would but had some special times with reading mixed with seeing my family here in Denver, spending time at the bookstore, walking in several favorite parks or the neighborhood. 

Thanks to Candlewick Press for the following books:

At Goodreads

It's a new mystery series for young middle grades, a story of a strong friendship and kids taking risks for each other that will make you smile! Even the bully has a hint of nice! 

At Goodreads

Published a couple of years ago by Walker Books in Australia, now in the US this year. It has a creepy undertone, is quite mysterious, and an interesting strong young female protagonist. 

At Goodreads

It's simply a fun and a rather fantastical story. Can you imagine a young girl managing to sneak a pony up to her apartment? Yes, she did, and managed quite a few other capers, too. 

At Goodreads

A poignant World War II story, a town on the beach and two friends and a couple of siblings who may or may not figure in this "wonder-how-it-will-end" story. Amy Hest managed to keep me guessing for a while in this multi-layered story of the anxious times during a war. 

At Goodreads

 A young granddaughter snapped this up fast, very intrigued with the "odd, but necessary" jobs shared with just enough information to pique one's interest and maybe wanting to know more.

        Here are the rest of what I finished:

At Goodreads

 This is a special story of a baby learning how racism affects people, one that can be used in conversations with all ages. And it's special because a customer at the used bookstore where I work brought it to the store as a gift!

At Goodreads

  My first book when our library opened with curb pickup and it is a joy to read Gene Luen Yang's memoir of one year following a sport, realizing that sports are much more than a dribble or a kick. There's history, too and much more in Yang's notes!

At Goodreads

    If you love Paddington Bear, you'll love this story of the sweet life of Michael Bond who never gave up his writing, came into Paddington's story through a last-minute gift to his wife.

At Goodreads

Middle-school is hard enough, but this debut novel by Brandy Colbert shows it can be even harder when Alberta is the "only black girl". When another black family moves in across the street with a girl just the same age, things get complicated and end in a secret revealed.

At Goodreads

Like many of you have already shared, I loved this story that wove baseball history into a boy's story of coming out. It touches my family, too, which made it all the more poignant.

At Goodreads

        It's not fun when everyone says they're too busy to read with Antonio, but in the meantime, someone he doesn't notice has been watching. He's a man sitting outside on the sidewalk who shares that no one has time for him either. He's blind! Illustrations beautifully invite readers into the neighborhood as Antonio searches for a companion.

          I also read The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason, an adult book, beautifully written but harsh in the war descriptions, also a love story that both pleased and saddened. At Goodreads!

Now reading: Seven Clues to Home by Gae Polisner and Nora Raleigh Baskin and The Huntress by Kate Quinn  I have a pile to read that I've purchased and now more library books, too!