Monday Reading - More Books Loved

        Visit Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and 

  

Jen at Teach Mentor Texts to see what they and others have been reading! Your TBR lists will grow! Happy Reading! 

       

           How much can I tell of a book that ends a series, is an advanced copy, won't be there until May? Like the first two, there is plenty to love about the growth and strength of Anaya, Petra, and Seth and Oppel's ability to create complexity in both old and new characters immediately. You will enjoy those new characters and the return of others. The edginess of nearly every scene, like in the first two books, will keep you nervous, wanting to read on, yet worried about what that might mean. You might need to walk around a little bit before you read on! I enjoyed it very much, am sad to see The Overthrow end. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

           I just got this book from my library, then discovered that Kate Messner is reading it aloud here on YouTube! Enjoy! 

            Mama Sloth is so sweetly patient, offering small bits of advice to dear Sloth as they move slowly (and quietly) to bedtime. Listening to trees go "Shush - rush, Shush - rush" helps, but wrapping up worries and sending them away makes a very sleepy Sloth. Valentina Toro's fully illustrated "night-time" pages also help create a relaxed and soothing atmosphere. I love this Mama and her child at bedtime.

            

          And, after many holds, I finally have Carole Lindstrom's Caldecott-winning We Are Water Protectors. And I found Carole reading this aloud here! The sadness of the text, but the call for all of us to become Water Protectors is strong, and with the extraordinary beauty of Michaela Goade's illustrations, it's easy to see why it earned the highest honor of a Caldecott. There is added information about the background of water protectors, a glossary, and an illustrator's note at the back. Both these notes from the creators will add to the story, will invite your return to the book to understand more from Lindstrom's words and Goade's art.

We Need A Variety of Connections So We Can Thrive

       I'm happy to have a spot on the blog tour to celebrate Meenoo Rami's new book, Thrive. When you read this book, you'll find more than one part that speaks directly to you, wherever you are in your teaching career. You may be a first year teacher or a veteran contemplating retirement in a few years. You may be teaching pre-school or the fifth graders, preparing them both for transitions, or you might be in a high school setting, focusing on one subject. Where you are doesn't matter, but finding voices of like-minded educators is what keeps the fire of teaching, and that means connecting and collaboration. Whether it's in your own hometown or somewhere across the world, Meeno's words will help you find a way. I would add that the words are not just for teachers, but also for teacher-leaders, principals, and coaches.

        Thrive was just published in March. There is that time in the school year when one recognizes the summer slide, that time where teachers become anxious, knowing all the things still remaining on the "lists". However, I wanted to share that it’s also the time when teachers begin wondering about their next class, their next “START”. Part of the look forward is exciting, yet sometimes it can be daunting. You might know what you dream, but are not sure how to get there. You need ideas, you need a new spark, you need a "network". In Thrive, Meeno shares numerous ideas for collaboration. She shares ideas about finding the right mentor, and ways to assess what is the right one. Also shared is the overview of the kinds of helpful networks available, in school, within communities like Edcamps, online like Twitter and #Edchat, or national networks like the National Writing Project along with professional organizations like NCTE.  One can get stuck in chapter Two just contemplating the possibilities.