Reading Teacher Writes

IMWAYR: Jasmine Warga is Getting Me Through Testing, Week Two

t’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a weekly blog hop hosted by Kellee and Ricki of Unleashing Readers. The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

Head over to Unleashing Readers to join the link-up and share your reading!

During this second week of state testing, I’m reading a few minutes at a time, and listening to a new audiobook while driving back and forth each day. I’m taking it easy, but I cannot wait until testing is over so I can dive in again.

Physical Books: Our annual Battle of the Books competition is just two weeks away, and I have 3 books left to read before the event. We had a great list this year, and my students are excited to show what they know. A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall (Storytide, 2024) is a great story by Jasmine Warga, who is one of our favorite middle-grade authors. (See my Libro.fm titles, too.) Rami and Veda, classmates, try to solve the mystery of a missing painting in the museum with the help of Agatha (a turtle!). Anyone who enjoys mysteries will love this story, and knowledge of art is a plus.

Libro.fm: I finished The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan – also by Jasmine Warga – the friendship between a cheetah and a rescue dog will open your heart! I didn’t know the story was based on real-life zoo programs until I saw a copy of the book. What an excellent way to motivate children to read (and visit their local zoo)!

I downloaded and started listening to the ARC of The Second Life of Snap by Erin Entrada Kelly. Another favorite author! Another fabulous story! I think I want the print version of this one in my hands when it publishes on May 12th. My students will love this addition to the school library. Pair this title with The Wild Robot or A Rover’s Story.

It’s Monday! What are YOU reading?

IMWAYR: After spring break and storms

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is a weekly blog hop hosted by Kellee and Ricki of Unleashing Readers. The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

Head over to Unleashing Readers to join the link-up and share your reading!

After spring break and the spring storms, I’m back to share my reading with you. There are some excellent titles out there in children’s literature that I want you to add to your reading lists.

Physical Books: I read The Lion’s Run by Sara Pennypacker and The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo.

The Lion’s Run has some hype around awards possibilities and I have to say, it’s well-deserved advertising. The protagonist, orphan Lucas DuBois, wants to prove to himself and everyone else that he is brave and doesn’t deserve to be called “Petit Éclair.” Living in Nazi-occupied France in 1944 is tough for everyone, and Lucas tries to save some kittens from bullies who want to throw them off a bridge. He takes the bag of felines and hides them in a barn near Levensborn (which becomes a fascinating setting for this story). Lucas meets Alice, a girl who is hiding her filly from the Germans in the stable. As a delivery boy for a maternity home, Lucas discovers that the place is actually a birth house controlled by the Nazis. Secrets and lies lead to danger during WWII. I won’t give away more details at this time, but if you love accurate, well-researched historical fiction, this book is for you.

*The Poet X*, from ElizabethAcevedoWrites

Ad: *Anger is Only a Shadow,* title publishing 09/15/26

The Poet X won many awards back when it was published (Pura Belpré Author Award, Carnegie Medal, Walter Dean Myers Award, Michael Printz Award, as well as many selections and honors and the National Book Award). I re-read the book on the plane to spring break to get my mind and heart ready for Ms. Acevedo’s upcoming, Anger is Only a Shadow, which will publish on September 15, 2026. I cannot wait! (Do you LOVE the cover? Wow!)

Libro.fm: I’m listening to The Unlikely Tale of Chase & Finnegan by Jasmine Warga (read by Michael Crouch). I just started, so I’ll let you know what I think, but I already love everything Jasmine Warga writes, so I’m sure this one will be fabulous.

It’s Monday! What are YOU reading?

Indiana Library Federation Youth Services Conference

I was honored to present at the Indiana Library Federation Conference last weekend in Muncie, Indiana. What a fabulous group of literacy leaders and grand advocates for reading!

Thank you to Mr. Bateman from Performing Arts Photography, Indianapolis, IN and the ILF Conference Committee for the new headshot. You made me look good!

Day One of the ILF Youth Services Conference was a whirlwind ride of learning, fun, and meeting new people. Shifa Saltagi Safadi, author of Kareem Between (National Book Award Winner), was the keynote speaker and she was fabulous, funny, and unforgettable.

I brought my passion for reading and sharing lesson ideas that meet state standards to Day Two. You know me! I believe that “Picture Books are Perfect for Middle School” and I can prove it. (LOL)

“Picture Books are Perfect for Middle School”

John David Anderson, a favorite middle-grade author, showed us how storytelling provides a way for us to connect; our stories are perfect for sharing. (Riley’s Ghost was one of our “Battle of the Books” titles last year.)

When I returned home, I had to recover. So much learning and thinking packed into two days! I cannot wait until next year.

IMWAYR: I LOVE Reading!

My middle school’s Literacy Night is tomorrow night, so I have to be quick this week. My apologies. Here are the titles I’m finishing and loving this week!

Physical Books (Advanced Reader Copy):

The Brainstormerz: Money Talks by Kwame Alexander, with Cassidy Dyce and art by Rashad Doucet (also created Wish I Was a Baller with Amar Shah – 2025). The book opens with Lex reading through the Dictionary (IYKYK). A birthday is coming soon! Lex wants the latest phone, Apollo-XL. Fine items cost money, though. It’s time for the Brainstormerz to hatch a plan. (Publishes in May by Little, Brown Ink)

Physical Books (Just Published):

Camp Monster by Kate Messner, illustrated by Falynn Koch. Tasha and her family have hosted summer camp for many years at Camp Yeti, but this year, times are tight (we know the feeling). Mom and Dad decided to open the camp to ALL monsters this summer! The camp counselors welcome the new group and begin introductions with the Code of Conduct and a warning: “Please report any humans lurking nearby or other suspicious activity to the camp office.” What could go wrong? If you ever went to summer camp, you will love this book! Children and adults alike will have fun reading and sharing their own camp stories.

The Pecan Sheller by Lupe Ruiz-Flores just won the Pura Bulpré Award, a well-deserved recognition! Petra is a high schooler in San Antonio in 1937 who has dreams for the future. After losing her father, she must help the family by working. She gets a job at a pecan-shelling factory, where the work is physically and mentally terrible. The reader feels the hard life along with Petra. This is an important book that I recommend to my middle schoolers, high schoolers, and any adult. Historical fiction at its best! The author dedicated the book to the memory of her mother, who was a former pecan sheller.

Libro.fm:

Amari and the Metalwork Menace (Book 4) by B.B. Alston. (Narrated by Imani Parks) I’ve been waiting for another Amari story! Next time I get in the car, I’m turning this audiobook on.

It’s MONDAY! What are YOU reading?

Head over to Unleashing Readers to join the link-up and share your reading!

Happy Book Birthday, Kwame Alexander and Kitt Thomas!

Book Review: The Mighty Macy, by Kwame Alexander and Kitt Thomas (Little, Brown, February 3, 2026)

The Mighty Macy, written by Kwame Alexander and illustrated by Kitt Thomas, is a “masterpiece” for young readers. The novel-in-verse opens on Macy’s birthday, which is also New Year’s Day. She receives Book One of The Mighty Zora series and is excited to read it. Meanwhile, Macy’s little brother, Jojo sits outside on the stoop and has a rap battle with Daddy. As readers get to know Macy, they connect with her and support her just as much as the fictional figures in the story.

Macy is nervous about her upcoming recital with her Suzuki violin. Her anxieties double when she finds out that she will not be able to read Book Two of The Mighty Zora series because the library has reduced hours; it will only be open on Mondays and Fridays. WHAT???

Macy worries: What will happen to the librarian, Ms. Cooper? When will I be able to read Book Two? Why do I have to write a poem for homework when I cannot find the words? Why does Daddy have to leave on a work trip? Will he make it back for my recital?

Macy and her bestie, Blue (and Loud Jimmy) try to figure out what to do about the library closing. After strategizing on the stoop for a while, Blue suggests that Macy speak at the board meeting on Thursday. WHAT???

Macy needs some Mary Poppins magic to get through this mess. Will she be able to stand up and use her voice?

The Mighty Macy is perfect for all ages. Teachers and librarians will find this book is a fantastic read-aloud because the characters are funny, lively, and relatable. Students will find themselves in the pages. Families will find enjoyment while reading together. The lessons that can be learned, including writing and speaking, take young people into the future with a glimpse of hope and self-confidence. “Like Bessie Coleman, one day you’re gonna fly, Sunshine…”

Published by Little, Brown and Company on February 3, 2026. I highly recommend this title. 5 Stars!

IMWAYR: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – Reading is Resistance

If I have learned anything this past year, it’s that Reading is Resistance. All the book banners and government officials (with their bills to scare us away from reading) who don’t want us to show our intelligence KNOW that we readers ARE the future and we WILL survive and pass the joy of reading and learning to others! Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! Stand up and speak out. The time is now.

These are a few of my favorite titles from the past that I read with my middle school classes. They are all relevant today. I’m proud to be a reader, a teacher, and a librarian. And you know me – “Picture Books are Perfect” for learning about civil rights.

Head over to Unleashing Readers to join the link-up and share your reading!

One Little Word 2026

It didn’t take me long to choose my “One Little Word” for 2026. I need to get back to the basics, back to what works for me, back to the creative life that I love. I chose RESTORE.

When you Google the word RESTORE, the first hit shows a verb meaning “bring back (a previous right, practice, custom, or situation); reinstate.” As I move cautiously into this new year, this definition fits my goals perfectly. I will restore my writing schedule, my reading time, and find more creative opportunities that focus on my strengths, my dreams, my joys.

I learned about One Little Word at http://www.aliedwards.com many years ago as I found writing inspiration at Two Writing Teachers (http://www.twowritingteachers.org). I look forward to restoring some practices and situations this year, especially getting back to established writing and working with my NCTE friends.

What is your OLW (One Little Word) for 2026?

Best Books of 2025: Late

I finally got over the flu and I’m ready to get back to normal! I know it’s already 2026, but I’m sharing the Best Books I Read in 2025 list, just in case you still want to check your TBR pile and share with me. My rules changed a bit, since I didn’t use Goodreads this year, so bear with me. These are titles that 1) I read in 2025, 2) were published in 2025, and 3) I gave a “5 stars” rating.

I hope you found some excellent reading in 2025 and I wish you the best in 2026! Enjoy!

Jennifer (Reading Teacher Writes)

IMWAYR: The Last of 2025

I was down with the flu+ the entire week of Christmas! I haven’t read anything except the heartwarming short stories in The Spirit of Christmas, edited by Amy Newmark. I’ve been drinking water and tea and sleeping/watching Hallmark Christmas movies. I hope the holidays have been kind to you and I hope you have had plenty of reading material to keep you busy. Happy New Year, everyone! I cannot wait until 2026!

Head over to Unleashing Readers to join the link-up and share your reading!

IMWAYR: Finishing 2025

The last few days of school are always chaotic, and today we had another two-hour delay due to below-zero temperatures. It was nice to see students this afternoon visiting the library to trade books before break. I’m still sharing the holiday books I wrote about last week. Today’s featured title was Hanukkah Upside Down, by Elissa Brent Weissman, with pictures by Omer Hoffmann (Abrams Books, 2023). Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate!

Physical Books: I received a box of fabulous books over the weekend from Publisher Spotlight (Thank you, Tracy!). I opened one immediately, as the title caught my eye…The Memory Tree: A Holiday Grief Book, by Joanna Rowland and illustrated by Thea Baker (Beaming Books, 2025).

I know when we say “holidays” and “grief” in the same sentence that it is like opening a can of bad-tasting worms, but The Memory Tree acknowledges the sadness and brings a sense of peace with a family story of remembering and honoring the loss of loved ones. The main character is a young girl with a big family, but because the text is vague, the family could be any family and the main character could be any person, and (most importantly), the loss of “a loved one” could be anyone, too. This is the best perspective for the book.

I read the book and thought of many of my own loved ones. The action of creating ornaments to make a “memory tree” right after I set up my own family Christmas tree full of homemade ornaments made the book even more reflective and significant. When I read back matter, I cried when I found that the inspiration for this book was based on a true story of the loss of a young loved one. Thanks to the author’s writing, the story will live forever, which is the best gift for dealing with grief. “…a person passes twice, once when they are physically no longer on earth and once again when their name is uttered for the last time.”

Whether or not you have lost loved ones, this holiday book is special and should be shared.

I’ll get to the rest of these by the end of the week, but they look fun, right? (Right!) Mr. Search and Mrs. Find will be an awesome addition to the school library. Look at these pages! (By Csil and published by Post Wave, 2023)

How to Save a Library is a chapter book. Of course, I’ll love it! (I’m a librarian. LOL) From the author of The Umbrella House, Colleen Nelson (Pajama Press, 2025). If You Go Walking, by Erin Alladin, illustrated by Miki Sato is a nonfiction picture book with wonderful, textured collage-created pages that are bright and enjoyable to contemplate.

NetGalley: Yes! I was approved to read Kwame Alexander’s upcoming chapter book, The Mighty Macy, illustrated by Kitt Thomas. This one will be published in February, 2026, and I cannot wait!

Libro.fm: I didn’t listen this past weekend (I didn’t go anywhere in the snow and cold!) I need to finish Busted by Dan Gemeinhart.

It’s Monday! What are YOU reading?

Head over to Unleashing Readers to join the link-up and share your reading!