#IMWAYR March 31, 2015

Today is Monday; time for #IMWAYR. It's when bloggers write about the books they have been reading in the past week. Beware that reading these posts can become addictive and expensive. Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Rickie from Unleashing Readers host this weekly event. Check out their blogs for links to the many participants. 

It was a successful reading week for me. I managed to:
  • carve out time to read the bag of picture books I got from the public library ages ago. 
  • read two easy chapter books and abandon one other. 
  • finish up one audiobook and 
  • devour one graphic novel
I will purchase three of the following picture books  for our school library when I have funds again. 

Froodle by Antoinette Portis
5 stars
What happens when one creature defies the rules they are to abide by? In this case, when a little brown bird decides that peep is no longer the only song it wants to sing, it foments a revolution. Making change is never easy. Feathers will get rustled. Unfortunately, even though the other birds start to have fun creating their own new songs, Crow is not happy with this. 

Portis' illustration are amazing. Note the threat portrayed in the power imbalance in this standoff between the crow and the little brown bird. 




There is a powerful idea seeded through this book, but it is counterbalanced and seasoned with lots of hilarity. 
You will have to read the book yourself to find out how the situation is resolved. 

The Case For Loving by Selina Alko Illustrated by Sean Qualls and Seling Alko
5 stars
This is such an important book. It celebrates diversity as it presents a history lesson on marriage rights in the USA. It tells the story of Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter, a mixed race couple who took their case all the way to the supreme court so that they could live wherever they wanted, and other couples like them, could get married. 
The illustrations reflect the intensity of the situation - being light and filled with hearts and flowers when Richard and MIldred's life is going well, and then dark when outside forces try to harm them. 
Reading the author's notes at the end is worthwhile. It reveals that the book was created by another interracial couple who were able to marry "with great ease" in 2003, thanks to the earlier struggles of Mildred and Richard. 


The Farmer and the Clown by Marla Frazee
4 stars
I'm sure glad that so many people have blogged and carried on about this book because to be honest, I wouldn't have picked it up alone. The front cover turned me off for some reason. Of course, now that I've read the book, I have come to appreciate it. I concur that this is a poignant sweet book. At first it didn't really ring true for me. I thought, who in their right mind would lose a baby and not go immediately back to search for it? Then when I reread it I realized that the circus returns within 24 hours. Whew! I have a copy on order for when I get some money. I look forward to sharing it with children. 

As an Oak Grows by G. Brian Karas
2 stars
I wonder if I am not so impressed with this book because earlier readers, like Elizabeth Ellington, have pointed out how superficially Native Peoples history is recorded.  I suspect that Pete Seeger, who the book is dedicated to, might be disheartened. The book takes us through 200 years in an oak tree's life. As the tree grows, the world around it changes. Although I enjoyed the details in the images, I prefer how Virginia Lee Burton's The Little House, reveals the impact of change over time.  

Finding good beginning chapter books is one the most critical thing I do as a librarian. One of these days I will have to blog about my favourites. (although I'm sure it has already been done somewhere.)

5 stars
I don't remember which #IMWAYR blogger wrote about this series, but I am so very thankful that you did. I love love love it! If only this book were available in paperback, I'd purchase a literature set to use with our younger readers. I realio trulio adore it. 

Dora Fantasmagory by Abby Hanlon
5 stars
Dory, our narrator, is an amazing character. She is the youngest of three children. I have to admit that as much as I admire her creativity, I'm kind of thankful that I am neither her sibling nor her parent. Dora is the kind of brilliantly imaginative child who will drive parents and teachers slightly wacko. She wants to be included in everything and is full of questions. She fluctuates between the worlds of fantasy and reality. I suspect that fans of Calvin and Hobbs will love Dory. 

The Terrible Two
 by 
abandoned
I've tried to get into this book a couple of times, but so far, it just hasn't really worked for me. I'm going to pass it on to one of our male teachers of grade 2/3/4 and get his feedback. The truth is, even as the mother of two boys, almost 40 years of marriage to the same man, and reaching the ripe old age of almost 62, I still really don't understand boys and their humour. 


Skim by Mariko & Jillian Tamaki
5 stars
I am so thankful I purchased Skim at Serendipity this year after Mariko Tamaki spoke about it. It is a powerful graphic novel. Kimberly Keiko Cameron, (Skim) the protagonist, goes to an all girls religious high-school. The novel begins with the suicide of one of the girl's ex-boyfriends. The Tamaki cousins brilliantly reveal how this event echoes across the actions of everyone in the school for the next year. At the same time, they take a hard look at racism, body image, sexual identity, first love and the secrets people keep. Skim examines how we make assumptions about people because of the way they look. This book is beautiful and dark and oh so very much real. I'm thinking it might just be the book I give away to my teenage great nieces next year.

Skink by Carl Hiaasen
3 stars
While I always enjoy a Carl Hiaasen read, parts of this one didn't ring true for me. Honestly, I can't believe that anyone in this day and age isn't more internet savvy than Malley, Richard's cousin is made out to be. It's such a contradiction as she is also portrayed as an independent, smart girl. In this respect her character and the situation she ended up in, just didn't make sense. I wondered what readers at my school might think about it so I asked some of our grade seven girls if they knew anything about chat rooms. They told me they were some old fashioned way people used to talk to each other on the internet. Enough said.
In spite of this, there is a lot to like about this book. It's got adventure, suspense, action, and Skink, as ever, is a mythical character. But, because of my aforementioned concerns, the rest of the novel didn't work as well as an Hiassen novel would ordinarily do for me.

Right Now I'm listening to The Search for the Red Dragon by James A Owen. It's ok, but won't pass the bechdel test. Reading with my eyes, I'm in the middle of the most beautiful heartbreaking book, This Journal Belongs to Ratchett by Nancy J Cavanaugh. 





20 comments:

  1. The Terrible Two has done SO well in my library. I agree with the boy humor on most things, but I found this one amusing. Except for the damage to the hatchback! The Search for the Red Dragon is HARD reading... my brain hurt, but it's a good choice for readers who know both Lewis and Tolkien. I couldn't buy Ratchett, because the term where I live would have made this book an object of derision! You have a lot of good books going!

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    1. I will give The Terrible Two another go. I know what you mean about the Red Dragon. It works for me, but I can't see many of my elementary school students having the background knowledge to really get much out of it. I'm so so sorry about Ratchett. It is a powerful read.

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  2. I love your comment about boys! I have heard lots of great things about Terrible Two but it isn't necessarily a book I am personally drawn to. My class LOVED The Farmer and the Clown which we did with our Mock Caldecott. I really have a soft spot for this book. Dory is a book I want to get to! Looks wonderful.

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    1. Isn't it the truth though? I think I'm hit or miss with my recommendations for them. The only good thing is that when I hit it, it usually is enough for them to forgive me for when I don't. I think you will love Dory and so will your little readers.

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  3. Love that "pickle juice" book & the others, too, very cute, & appropriate for the age. You've shared many good ones today, but the one I've not heard about is Skim. Will try to find it. One of my students just finished a unit of study in body image. I think she will love this, Cheriee. Thanks for all!

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    1. You are most welcome Linda. I'm looking forward to the rest of the Pickle Juice series. Skim is powerful, but maybe best for grade 7 and up.

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  4. I love the idea for A Case for Loving. Got to get it!

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    1. I think it puts the fuss about same sex marriage into perspective.

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  5. The Farmer and the Clown was such a great book and gets better with each reading! Give the Terrible Two another try! I felt it was slow at first, but then it seemed to get better! I can see a lot of Diary of Wimpy Kid fans getting into this series.

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    1. I will give it another try. It's just that i hate hate hate dumb boy books! I believe boys are capable of so much more.

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  6. I have enjoyed all of Hiassen's mysteries for younger readers. I will probably try Skink No Surrender on audio. I'm often more forgiving of inconsistencies when I read in that format. It's easier to get caught up in the story and simply enjoy that part of it. Farmer & Clown didn't entirely work for me. Maybe I just had too high expectations? I need to pull it off my shelf and read it again--by myself, without my son, who also didn't like it (but then he rarely enjoys wordless picture books) and who might have colored my response some. Skim is powerful and important. Love Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki's work! Like Pickle Juice and Dory are two of my faves too. Really looking forward to the second Dory book. Have you read the others in Sternberg's series? Book 2 fell a bit flat for me, but I loved Book 3. And I second everything you say about The Terrible Two. Glad I read it so I can booktalk it, but I am definitely not the right audience for that one!

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    1. Pickle Juice is the only one so far, but I intend to read and even purchase more of them. (They are in the elusive shopping cart - the one I hope to one day have money for) I too love those Tamaki twins. I'll purchase a copy of Farmer & Clown for the school, but it wasn't one of my favourite picture books.

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  7. Oh, Ratchet!!!! That book took me by happy surprise last summer!
    Loved Pickle Juice and the other 2 books in the series. So great for younger readers.
    I have a big dislike for clowns, so I got that book from the library. Loved it, so I had to buy it :)

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    1. I know - I must have read a lot about it, but now that I am finally getting to it, it is taking me by a delightful and tearful surprise.

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  8. That highlighted spread from Froodle is great. I have wanted to read Skim, but haven't gotten to it. I've enjoyed many of the books you shared, but haven't read the Terrible Two or Hiaasen book yet. Pickle Juice is so fun.

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    1. It sure is. It doesn't have the craziness of Dory, so in some ways I liked it better. Skim is absolutely worth the investment in time. Some of the images are stunning.

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  9. Oh my goodness. You are so right that reading these lists is addicting and expensive! Froodle looks to be absolutely marvelous. Thank you for sharing that spread! I will add it to my TBR list. :) :) And there goes my bank account...

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  10. I just reserved Skim from our library. We only have two existing copies in our public library system so I made sure I borrow the last remaining one that is available. I am also looking forward to reading This One Summer. I have to get my hands on The Case for Loving - looks absolutely beautiful.

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    1. I hope you enjoy Skim and This One Summer. I loved both of them, but have heard mixed reviews about This One Summer. The Case For Loving is such an important book!

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