Monday Reading

           Every Monday, it's a pleasure to link up with a group that reviews books they want to share with others. Come discover new books!

          Visit Jen at Teach MentorTexts and Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders to see what they've been reading, along with everyone else who link up.   

Tweet #IMWAYR

        I imagine many of you know the meme Brain Pickings. Here is a wonderful piece about public libraries, that "thing" all who post here seem to use and celebrate often!

         If you wish, it's time this Thursday, September 1st, to share an update from your #MustReadIn2016 goals. Link up with Carrie Gelson at There's A Book for That!

       This is the story of Dr. John Snow and a local cleric, Henry Whitehead discovering the true cause of cholera, fighting the then current beliefs that miasmatic air was the cause. There is detailed explanations of how the disease began, and how fast it began to kill, a tough story to read. But the further exploration in a time when almost no one was able to see things microscopically is fascinating. And the speculation about cities and close population, what it means for us in the future is also interesting. It's a dense n-f book for adults and older students who enjoy the stories of science, the good and the bad.

      A cat tags along with a family on a European vacation, visiting familiar landmarks, although many might have to be told about them, or even what and where they are. The text doesn't give a hint except in the illustrations, focuses in some rhyming text on the cat, where he is hiding, how he manages all those transportation types. It's a delight to see Lauren Castillo's illustrations, so recognizable, simple detail, lots of color. And, I love seeing City Cat lying up on Notre Dame Cathedral with that gargoyle!

       There is a time when the hot weather in some of our places lessens, and cool weather steps in. The message to the trees, the growing plants, and the animals is to get ready, here comes autumn. In this beautifully illustrated picture book, a young girl has a conversation as she walks through woods. greeting birds and plants, enjoying the day. For example, she says: "Hello playful foxes and singing blue jays." They reply, "Hello! We are busy looking for food. Some of us are heading south to our winter homes." Kenard Pak manages to include quite a bit of the changes when autumn comes, like animals leaving or searching for food and leaves changing color. And he also shows the beauty in luminous colorful pages, just like fall!

           I found one of Elise Gravel's Disgusting Creatures series at the library, Head Lice! While I've dealt with this tough critter in my classes (head itching always) in the past, there are things I didn't know, like they ONLY live on human blood, not any other living creature. She writes about dogs, "Let the fleas have 'em!"  Now I need to discover and read more of these informative and lively books. The simplicity of the cartoon story is well done, offering lots of information easy to read for younger readers.

 

          I'm going to share both of the above books together because I am not a big fan. They are beautiful to see, but I'm unsure about the message in both, The Rainbow Fish asks for giving something up in order to make a friend. And Feathers for Peacock asks every other bird to give up some of their  feathers in order to help peacock. He missed the time when others were receiving their own feathers because he overslept. I'm not sure if the tales will send the wrong message.

-----------------------------

Still reading: a YA novel from NetGalley: A Song To Take The World Apart. The little I've read makes me want to read on, but I've had a busy week, and finishing Ghost Map took a lot of time!

Next: I have a new copy of Nine, Ten, so excited!