Reading Teacher Writes

IMWAYR: School Information

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!

Hello! I’m busy this week reading back-to-school emails, information, and scheduling “stuff.” Sure, I’m still reading some leftover summer titles, but this week, I have to get back to work.

Sure, I’m excited to start school again, but, yeah, I’m sad that summer is spent.

It’s Monday! What are YOU reading?

IMWAYR: Last Week of Summer

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

It’s my last week of summer, so I’m going to keep this post short and sweet. There are so many good books out there! Go read something! Have a great week!

The Boy Who Lived in a Shell by John Himmelman reads sort of like a collection of nursery rhymes, but it’s also a circular story, and the plot follows several characters through “the boy who lived in a shell” (and wrote stories). I finished A Hero’s Guide to Summer Vacation and I feel like this one was a perfect way to end my summer reading. Pablo Cartaya continues to be a favorite author in my middle school library.

I had Return to Sender by Vera Brosgol on my reading pile, and I also found this title on Libro.fm, so I have a two-for-one reading opportunity! (I can listen while I drive back and forth to all the appointments I have this week and read before bedtime.)

For #mypersonalPD book, I received Seasons of Literacy by JoEllen McCarthy and Julia E. Torres, my friends and fabulous educators. This book is perfect for planning the coming months of the school year in the library. I’m so happy that I have this on my desk.

Seasons Of Literacy, PD book by McCarthy and Torres

It’s Monday! What are YOU reading?

IMWAYR: August! A Little Summer Left

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!

It’s August! I cannot believe how fast summer goes, but I still have a little left to go, so I’ll keep reading. It’s been busy around here. Let me catch you up with my book news.

Adult Books: I read a couple of adult books in June and July, adding to my kidlit titles. Let me just mention them, in case you’re looking for something different, too. You (Don’t) Belong Here, by Megan Miranda, A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson, and Tilt, by Emma Pattee were all good books that I would recommend, but they all surprised me in some way. Plot events didn’t follow as I predicted and characters were more (or less) complex than I thought when I began reading. If you need adult recommendations, these would be worth your time.

Kidlit/MiddleGrade Titles: I have a nice little stack going right now, to be finished by the time we start school in 2 weeks. I just received Disgustology today from Teresa Robeson (a former NCTE panelist partner – she’s awesome and her books are fabulous!). Thanks so much to Teresa and Beth Anderson for the giveaway opportunity! I am starting Graciela in the Abyss by the wonderful Meg Medina tonight. Then I have Return to Sender by Vera Brosgol and The Boy Who Lived in a Shell by John Himmelman to round out my summer reading. (I already read Malcolm Lives! but I don’t think I recorded it here as being finished.)

Picture Books are PERFECT! (You know me!) Thank you to Tracy Gallagher at Publisher Spotlight for the amazing titles I read recently. I’m in awe of all the titles out in the world that I wouldn’t see if it weren’t for you.

More Picture Books! YES! My friends at #Bookelicious sent me a wonderful stack of picture books that I hadn’t read yet (and the newest Chris Barton book, We Match, with illustrator Sharon Glick). Did you know the history of the Rubik’s Cube? I did not. Learning more about the Green Book was fascinating (Going Places). Sound was an interesting addition for my music books. The Wild Robot on the Island picture book is a complementary title to go with the original novel (and movie, of course). Chooch Helped, the Caldecott Medal winner, warmed my heart. Picture books are truly perfect for learning!

It’s Monday! What are YOU reading?

IMWAYR: Asynchronous Class and Reading Time

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

I’m taking an asynchronous class so that I can renew my teaching license and add an Early Literacy endorsement, so I haven’t been reading as much as I want to this week, but I still have a few titles to share. Take a look!

Physical Books: I finished A Hero’s Guide to Summer Vacation by Pablo Cartaya and I loved it! Perfect for summer reading, a boy and his “famous author” grandfather spend time traveling and connecting (by choice and not) during a 10-day book tour. I’ve missed Pablo’s books and this one hit the spot.

As a purposeful learning method and form of personal “I can do what I want” message to the government, I’m reading books that point out the way citizens of this country live together, work together, and grow together. If only we could all READ together!

Some of Us: A Story of Citizenship and the United States by Rajani LaRocca and Huy Voun Lee (2025). Cover shows a happy family hugging, with a purple background, showing fireworks and a silhouette of the Statue of Liberty.

Wish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt and Nancy Carpenter (2025) shows the cover of a young person sitting on a tree branch in a big tree. The colorful letters, WISH IN A TREE meet the reader with joy and wonder.

Libro.fm: I started listening to Soundtrack by Jason Reynolds, read by a full cast. It’s an amazing production of music and excellent storytelling. Jason said in an interview that there is not a print version of this title. It’s meant to be heard as an audiobook. Good choice, Mr. Reynolds!

It’s Monday! What are YOU reading?

IMWAYR: Summer School Testing Week

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

It’s summer school testing week (already?) and I’m pretty much reading passages to students to practice IRead3 skills. In the meantime, I received a bunch of gifts in the last two days which will keep me going through July! I have such wonderful book-ish friends. Thank you to the Bookelicious team (Aliza and friends, you’re the best!), and Publisher Spotlight (Tracy, I appreciate you!).

“Bookelicious” Books: If you haven’t seen the Bookelicious site yet, check it out. You won’t be disappointed.

Precious by Carlos Aponte (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2025)

Worm Makes a Sandwich by Brianne Farley (G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2025)

Awesome Earth: Concrete Poems Celebrate Caves, Canyons, and Other Fascinating Landforms by Joan Bransfield Graham and illustrated by Tania García (Clarion Books, 2025)

A Hero’s Guide to Summer Vacation by Pablo Cartaya (Kokila, 2025)

Publisher Spotlight books published by Ruby Tuesday (these look amazing, engaging, and fun):

Running a Business by Anna Young and Joanne Bell (2025)

Spending & Budgeting by Anna Young and Joanne Bell (2025)

How to Grow Potato Chips by Alix Wood (2024)

Let’s Investigate Plastic Pollution On Land and in the Oceans by Ruth Owen (2019)

Be a Water Scientist by Ruth Owen (2025)

It’s Monday! What are YOU reading?

IMWAYR: Summer School

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

Hello there! Is is okay to say I have NOT been reading, other than for organizing materials during summer school? Yes, I’m teaching summer school with 3rd graders who did not pass the IRead3 state test in the spring. Students have a chance to attend summer school and retake the test at the end of June. It’s a high-stakes effort, but I like teaching again. Here are some titles we are reading together:

My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete, and illustrated by Shane W. Evans. (Scholastic, 2010)

Exclamation Mark (!) by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld. (Scholastic, 2013)

If the World Were a Village: A Book About the World’s People by David J. Smith and Shelagh Armstrong. (Kids Can Press, 2002).

My Magic Breath: Finding Calm Through Mindful Breathing by Nick Ortner and Alison Taylor, and illustrated by Michelle Polizzi. (Harper Collins, 2018)

We will celebrate Juneteenth this Thursday with a day off school, but that doesn’t mean we won’t talk about the holiday this week. Sharing important topics, especially holidays, with children is one of my favorite things to do. Juneteenth for Mazie is one of my favorite titles, written by one of my favorite authors, Floyd Cooper (Oh, how I miss his magic!).

I love reading aloud to students! These books have become a daily practice for listening, predicting, questioning, summarizing, and finding pleasure in the reading classroom. I’m studying reading aloud as an intervention for my own research purposes, too; what a fascinating topic!

Other than teaching summer school, my husband and I have been walking our crazy boxer around the neighborhood in the evenings. This week will be hot, but I’m determined to move and stay healthy, so ask me next week if I’m still at it. The dog is about done with the heat already.

It’s Monday! What are YOU reading?

IMWAYR: May!

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

It’s May! We made it through state testing and we are looking at the end of the school year. Time to have some fun! Reading and writing are the best at this time of year because students can get creative and do some “passion projects.” Teachers can do the same!

This veteran, traditional teacher is learning some new creative outlets, too. I discovered a template in Canva (thanks, Susan E. Johnston!) and made some book ads for displays in the library. Check them out!

I know you might be thinking, “I knew how to do that already,” but it’s new for me and I liked working on these much more than I liked watching the news lately. Keeps me reading!

Happy book birthday to Kate Messner (The Trouble With Heroes), Kwame Alexander, and Jerry Craft (J vs. K)! Your wonderful books are out in the world and they are terrific additions to the school library!

Libro.fm: I’m still listening to Rebellion, 1776. I’m loving this story and the audio is perfect!

NetGalley: I started reading Legendary Frybread Drive-In, but I put that away during testing time. I’ll begin again this weekend.

Hey! Happy Teachers Appreciation Week! I appreciate everyone in education and all you do for all our students. Have a great week!

It’s Monday! What are YOU reading?

IMWAYR: State Testing Week One

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

It’s state testing week, number 1, and I won’t be reading much this week besides the scripts for the tests. But…I’ll gather grand poetry titles and other enjoyable reading materials so that when we are done with standardized enterprises, we can once again have some fun with reading and writing before summer break.

Physical Books: I received this in the mail – thank you Scholastic and Erin Soderberg Downing! What Happened Then sounds like an on-point title for fourth quarter of the school year. I cannot wait to dig in. (Publishes September 2, 2025)

Libro.fm: I’m still listening to Rebellion, 1776. So timely! So wonderful! So needed! I wish our current government officials would read.

NetGalley: Legendary Frybread Drive-In: Intertribal Stories, edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith, is a collection of short stories that imagine “regulars at the drive-in, who might mosey down well-worn paths to its tall neon sign.” I’ll say more about this one soon. I just started. By the way, don’t you just LOVE this cover? (Publishes August 26, 2025)

It’s Monday! What are YOU reading?

IMWAYR: One Week Until Spring Break!

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

One week left until spring break! Yesterday started a new calendar week with straight-line winds and a huge storm that caused much damage and power outages in our area. It’s amazing that more people weren’t hurt or killed in the 15-20 minute incident that blew through around 4:15 pm. Today the storm is over, but the bitter cold has returned. So much for an early spring. Our power was restored, thankfully, around 2:30 pm, so tonight I can type on my desktop again, enjoying the wi-fi while my husband and dog relax and watch a movie. The laundry is in the washer and the phone is charging. Now I can tell you about my week of reading.

Physical books: The Pinchers and the Curse of the Egyptian Cat by Anders Sparring, illustrated by Per Gustavsson (Gecko Press, 2025). Jon Scieszka called this little mystery “Goofy, good fun, criminally good.” I agree! The characters are the Pinchers, a family of thieves, except for Theo Pincher, who cannot lie and doesn’t like stealing. Tables are turned when Theo and his sister, Ellen (named Criminellen, Ellen for short) “shop” (read, “shopLIFT”) items at Pique’s Boutique and accidentally break a statue of Bastet, the Egyptian cat goddess. When Nic (Mom) finds out, she’s sure that breaking the cat has terrible consequences for the family due to an old curse. This book is intriguing and fun to read – meant for elementary students, but silly enough for their teachers and parents to read and enjoy, too. Published by Gecko Press, this Swedish title is sure to please families of thieves and upstanding citizens, alike.

Libro.fm: I’m slowly listening to Rebellion 1776, the newest title by Laurie Halse Anderson (who I have missed!). I’m loving this one; there’s so much action in the first two chapters already. Elsbeth, age 13, seeks employment to avoid the orphanage during the forced evacuation of Loyalists from Boston in 1776. She cannot find her father and she is thrust upon the streets, looking for him while trying to survive as she tends to a wealthy family with smallpox victims (she had smallpox as a small child, so she’s immune now). War has begun, yet smallpox causes as many deaths as the battles. If you’re a fan of the Seeds of America trilogy, you MUST add this one to your list of historical fiction that matters.

NetGalley: I’m almost finished with Please Pay Attention by Jamie Sumner. It’s gripping and makes you think and want to change the world.

It’s Monday! What are YOU reading?

IMWAYR: Birthday Week and Spring Holidays

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

My husband and I are celebrating his birthday this week — lots of restaurant gift cards and family fun. I read a few new things, but mostly I’m spending time with family and watching Notre Dame Women’s Basketball – go Irish!

Libro.fm and NetGalley: I’m still reading along with the audiobook, Please Pay Attention by Jamie Sumner. Being disabled and having a school shooting and having to deal with all that trauma…this book is moving. Honestly, I’m not sure how many students will want to read this one, but it’s important. I will probably read it aloud to a group; we can find community with this title.

Physical Books: I received a package of books from Publisher Spotlight (Thank you, Tracy!) and I’m loving these titles! So timely, too, as spring, Eid, and Easter are just around the corner. Look!

Eid for Nylah – Nizrana Farook and Zelma Firdauzia created a celebration for Nylah the cat, who doesn’t understand why no one in the family has time to play. The family and neighbors are all so busy! Nylah searches around and finds out during a walk in the park what the big deal is…it’s Eid! This is an adorable story to be shared. Eid al-Fitr is March 30 and observed on the 31st — time to celebrate!

Ellis Island Passover – Marissa Moss is a favorite author with Creston Books, and she used her grandfather’s story as her inspiration here. I love family stories and especially now, I love joyful immigration stories. Perfect for the spring holiday!

If you know me at all, you know I’m a fan of reading and helping readers, and this book is up to the tasks. Just One More Story by Perry Emerson and Sean Julian is about Pip and Bun, two very different bunnies. Pip LOVES to read, but Bun says, “Reading is BORING!” But when Pip tells Bun that reading isn’t for LITTLE bunnies anyway, Bun becomes interested. Of course, I love this title and with Easter coming up, maybe someone could receive this as a holiday gift.

Always looking for mystery chapter books, I came across (in that beautiful box from Publisher Spotlight) A Recipe For Trouble, An Alice Éclair, Spy Extraordinaire story. My upper elementary and middle school “foodie” students will love this – “Paris, mid-1930s. Alice Éclair is a regular 13-year-old girl, whipping up amazing confections in her mother’s patisserie, Vive Comme L’Éclair. But she’s been receiving mysterious messages…” Ah! I was hooked by the back cover. Bonus: there are codes to crack and clues to find, which is fun!

It’s Monday! What are YOU reading?