Wrapped - #MustReadIn 2015

The last time I checked in with the group who have "Must-Read" lists was the beginning of September, this post. By then I had read about a third of the books on my list, which is below.

Thanks to Carrie Gelson at There's A Book for That for keeping us all going and checking in with each other. Go to her blog to see all the others linking up.

Books in blue are read! 10 of 21

Middle-YA

Navigating Early - Claire Vanderpool

Seraphina - Rachel Hartman

The True Blue Scouts of Sugarman Swamp - Kathi Appelt

Grasshopper Jungle - Andrew Smith
The Shadow Throne - Jennifer Nielsen

Half A Chance - Cynthia Lord
Blue Lily, Lily Blue - Maggie Stiefvater
Where Things Come Back - John Corey Whaley
Love, Amalia - Alma Flor Ada
The Great Trouble - Deborah Hopkinson
The Red Pencil - Andrea Davis Pinkney
Winger - Andrew Smith
Dr. Bird's Advice for Sad Poets - Evan Roskos
March - Lewis, Aydin, Powell
How I Discovered Poetry - Marilyn Nelson
All The Answers - Kate Messner

for adults

Dog Songs - Mary Oliver - still need to review 

Quiet - Susan Cain

All The Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr

for professional development

Nonfiction Notebooks - Aimee Buckner
What We See When We Read - Peter Mendelsund

       Here, at the end of the year, I haven't finished eleven, and I doubt that I will. Some I might transfer to the 2016 list, but some I may give up, at least for now. I'm too interested in some books newly out, or about to be published in early 2016. It's nice to have a list to check on once in a while. You can read more about how this started in the list above.  

Since September:

     

The Shadow Throne - Jennifer Nielsen

       I wish I hadn’t put this off so long because I had forgotten some of the parts in previous books that the story referred to, but I enjoyed reacquainting myself with the major relationships, the key players who are either so loving and likeable or are downright despicable. Once again, with Neilsen’s writing being never dull, I can’t share much of the story or will give it away. This time, Jaron’s fight for his country creates tension among all his followers, Mathias, Roden, the pirates including Erich, and Mott. He is in the fight of his life for Carthya against the evil King Vargan who has woven a web of lies in order to bring other countries in to fight with him in order to overcome Carthya. Regent Harlowe is there, true to form in his loyal quest to protect this boy king, and the intrigue of the romance now involves two: Amarinda, Jaron’s betrothed princess and Imogen. Neilsen has managed to complete the puzzle of the

ending by placing the final pieces exactly where they fit. Loved it.

Winger - Andrew Smith
Ah, Ryan Dean West, how I loved seeing you figure out life during this strange fourteen-year-old year as a junior in a private boarding school. With a voice that moves from the typical 'me, me, me" to one that begins to understand the need to think of others, too, this story shows the challenges of a high schooler, and the inner thought that must happen to grow into some kind of good human being. Andrew Smith gives Ryan Dean the talent of drawing comics as he moves through the new year in "O" hall, a dorm for troublemakers, and they are in the book! Ryan Dean is there in a room with a bully, and luck (bad or good?) has it that his first nights include an after hours, not-allowed poker game with alcohol. This typical year of boys trying to outdo each other, worrying about sexuality and love with girls and boys, and not trying very hard to follow the rules seems more real than many adults might want to know. I ached for this young man, and in the end, cried a little, hoping that the world might turn a little nicer than depicted. I'm sorry I put reading this book off so long. It is wonderful.

      If you see any books that I haven't read that you believe is a "must-read", please let me know!

Happy Reading in 2016!

Must Read - Yes, Must Read!

       Carrie Gelson at There's A Book For That started this idea, wondering if some of us could gather lists of those books that we really wanted to read, but just kept putting aside while we read "just published" books. Her idea became our "must read" lists, see my own list above: "#MustReadIn2015". Summer helped and I'm proud that I read four of the list since we all connected. I'm happy I did; they were/are all wonderful books, and I'm sorry I skipped over them. 

       I've read 7/21 from my list, 33%, and I chose to read The Shadow Throne by Jennifer Neilsen next. There are so many good books available in our world, and it's fun to see if I can catch up with some older ones missed. 

Don't miss these!

Half A Chance - Cynthia Lord (middle grade)

              Cynthia Lord takes us well under the skin of her characters, and in this one, I imagine both kids and parents (spouses) can relate when one of the family, this time the father, keeps them moving. Lucy, twelve, has already moved three times in her life. Just three years ago, they were in Vermont, then Boston, and now in a rather lifeless house on a lake in New Hampshire. She lets us know how she feels often, the uneasiness of whether to wave and smile at the kids she sees at the house next door, her constant worry if she’s saying the right thing. It’s hard growing up, and even harder when one has to keep starting over with friends. Lucy’s father is a successful nature photographer, is gone on adventures often, and Lucy misses him too. This particular summer, he’s off the day after their move, and Lucy and her mother are left behind to settle in and make new friends. Nate, a boy next door, is a summer visitor, so Lucy knows that he’ll be gone by fall, yet she is immediately included in the “loon watch”, where they kayak across the lake to check on a pair of loons nesting. A second story that actually helps the friendship is Nate’s grandmother, Grandma Lilah, a loon watcher, too, whose cabin it is, but who also is falling into dementia. Through a photography contest (that will be judged by her father), Lucy stepping out to see if she can please him, but anonymously; Nate helping, and unknowing, their lives become quite tangled and conflicted. Lord allows Lucy to tell the story as it builds the tension of the dilemmas of a twelve year old trying to navigate her life. There is more than one life lesson here. The book would be a good read aloud or be great to read with a small group.

Reading On Vacation

           On Mondays, it's time to link up to share books I've read that are for children and teens with Jen at TeachMentorTexts and Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders.  Others link to share adult books with Sheila at Book Journeys who started the meme a long time ago. 

        Come visit, and tweet at #IMWAYR. Thanks to Jen, Kellee, and Ricki for hosting!

          I'm lucky enough to still be on vacation, but all the family is gone. Now it's time to catch up on reading and writing before I return home. I hope all of you are enjoying your school starts, with only staff so far, or with students!

         Here are some books I read before I left, and a few I read just today, hanging out at the local library! 

       This first book is another one that I've read from my #MustReadIn2015 list! The list is on the 'pages' at the top.

The Red Pencil - a verse novel written by Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrated by Shane W. Evans

            I'm sorry I put this off so long. It is never easy to read about a war, and the victims of it, still in it. Reading the story in the strong voice of a young girl was harder to me, but it will reach other children in its honesty, but without too much detail of the horrors that people are living through still today. Young Amira Bright loses nearly everything, her father, her home, her beloved sheep. And then she must live in the squalid conditions of a refugee camp. Poorly fed and housed, somehow there is sparkle in the tiniest of things: an orange Fanta, such a taste; the letter A, learning in secret; a tiny hedgehog moving through the camp. One of the sweetest lines is early in the book, when Amira's sister is born, and is crippled. Her father says: "This baby will keep us all strong. That is the way of a child who comes with so much specialness. We will stretch to meet her." One thread, also from the father, is a game that he teaches Amira. They play "What else is possible?" The only rule is that the answer to this can only be good. I hope you can see that this "mindset" is a beautiful example of a growth mindset. It helps Amira keep going. It's a rich story, sad to imagine, good for older children to read about the harsh realities happening today in war, not just in the past. Shane W. Evans illustrates throughout as if he is Amira. The drawings are poignant.

Non-Fiction PBs Plus #MustReadIn2015

I'm glad to be back to share this Wednesday  to Alyson Beecher's Non-Fiction Picture Book Challenge at her blog, Kidlit Frenzy.  Because of this meme, I discover many great titles to find and read. I can't buy them all, and am lucky to have a good library that nearly always has the books I request. Here are a few books with stories and illustrations that just might become favorites of yours. 

        Thanks Alyson!

         Some of us check in periodically with Carrie Gelson of There's A Book for That to share what we've read from our "must read" lists. We started these lists because in the excitement of newly published books, other books get left behind and don't get read. These books are worth a read, but keep being pushed aside. Sorry to say that in this past period I've only managed to read one of the books on my list, but it was a terrific one: The Great Trouble: A Mystery of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel (click for my review) by Deborah Hopkinson.  And, I'm reading another, Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater. I hope to do a lot of catching up this summer!

          Here are the non-fiction picture books I'd like to share this week:

April Is Poetry Month-So Are All The Others!

       

created by Leigh Anne Eck
at A Day In The Life

         It's exciting to welcome April, and many poetry Friday bloggers are beginning challenges to see who would like to write with them. I may join them sometimes during the month, but am planning to work hard to write haiku and haiku-realated poetry this month. After all, spring has arrived, mother nature is waking. It's a good time to observe the small and large parts of life around us. Some of us also are supporting each other, sharing on twitter with the hashtag #DigiPoetry, created by Margaret Simon, of Reflections on The Teche. You're welcome to join us.

             Many Poetry challenges are rounded up by Jama Rattigan at Jama's Alphabet Soup. If you want to see some lovely poetry, go to Jama's post to see everyone's plans.

1)

trees stretch to the sun

sense the opening leaf notes

spring music swells

Linda Baie © All Rights Reserved

Must Reads-Books Needing Love-2015

                  Carrie Gelson of There's A Book for That and Maria Selke of Maria's Melange started us down the path of giving love to all the books that came before, the ones we have on shelves, but still haven't been read! There is a small group of us that shared lists titled #MustReadIn2014. You can view that list if you click on the title on the bar above. I've read 13 of the 26 I listed. Someday I may read them all, but maybe not. For whatever reason, I haven't had/taken the time for them. Here is my list for 2015, hashtag #mustreadin2015!  I'm hopeful that I will read more than this past year's list showed. I have moved a few of the books from last year's list to this one!

Thanks for the nudge, Carrie & Maria!

Middle-YA

All The Answers - Kate Messner

Navigating Early - Claire Vanderpool

Seraphina - Rachel Hartman
The True Blue Scouts of Sugarman Swamp - Kathi Appelt

Grasshopper Jungle - Andrew Smith
Shadow Throne - Jennifer Nielsen
Half A Chance - Cynthia Lord
Blue Lily, Lily Blue - Maggie Stiefvater
Where Things Come Back - John Corey Whaley
Love, Amelia - Alma Flor Ada
The Great Trouble - Deborah Hopkinson
The Red Pencil - Andrea Davis Pinkney
Winger - Andrew Smith
Dr. Bird's Advice for Sad Poets - Evan Roskos
March - Lewis, Aydin, Powell
How I Discovered Poetry - Marilyn Nelson

for adults

Dog Songs - Mary Oliver

Quiet - Susan Cain
All The Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr

for professional development

Nonfiction Notebooks - Aimee Buckner
What We See When We Read - Peter Mendelsund