What Are You Reading? (72) #IMWAYR – December 8, 2013

Thanks to Book Journey for starting this whole thing!

Thanks also to Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers for their focus on Children’s Literature of this meme!

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This week, I posted:

–Flashback Friday– My Reading Life 2009

–Celebrate This Week– Nerdlutions and Giving

Susan Blackabye did a reading and craft activity at our store to promote her latest picture book, Brownie Groundhog and the Wintry Surprise, a follow up to Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox.

February Fox is a cute take on Groundhog’s Day. Brownie Groundhog is attacked by a hungry fox but through her cunning was able to escape and actually make a friendship with the Fox. Wintry Surprise was another cute story. It was interesting to learn the stories were inspired by an image and the stories were created around that.

Once Upon a Memory by Nina Laden, Illustrated by Renata Liwska [**]- A very sweet picture book about what things were once. We follow a little boy and his wonderings and we’re treated by Renata Liwska’s wonderful illustrations. I loved seeing her characters from other books!

Little Santa by Jon Agee [**]- This is a fictional biography of a gung-ho boy living in the North Pole who enjoys nothing more than sliding down chimneys and the new friends he meets one day while trying to rescue his snowed-in family.

The Song of the Quarkbeast by Jasper Fforde [**]- I was kind of underwhelmed. I did enjoy it but felt it had no point. It’s like watching a bad episode of your favorite show in which you say, “That was horrible but it’s better than most of what’s out there.”

Let’s Say Hi to Friends Who Fly! by Mo Willems [**]

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty [*]- I listened to this short story on Audible. I wasn’t particularly into it but that’s not to say it was bad. It sounded like something I would be into- a man who tends to drift off into fantasies to escape the humdrumness of life. Ben Stiller did a good job narrating it.

The Nice Book by David Ezra Stein [**]- The Nice Book is available for the first time in board book. It’s a nice lesson with rhyming text.

Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson [**- My Pick of the Week]- This is a beautiful book, both for its rich illustrations and the story it tells of a man who fought for human rights and sadly passed away recently.

Paul Meets Bernadette by Rosy Lamb [**]- This is a cute story about two fish. Paul is content swimming around in his fishbowl until Bernadette introduces him to everything there is to see in the world. Kids will enjoy the mistaken naming of things, very reminiscent of The Little Mermaid humor.

Run Home, Little Mouse by Britta Teckentrup [**]- Run Home, Little Mouse is a great book for younger kids. The illustrations are great and eyes of the different animals Little Mouse meet along the way peer out from holes.

The Great Impersonator by Jennifer Coughlin, Illustrated bu Catherin Lazar Odell [**]- One of the perks of working in a bookstore is getting to meet new writers or illustrators and helping them get their books known, if we like it. Luckily, I enjoyed this story of a boy who like to imitate other creatures. Great read-aloud and opportunity for kids to mimic the sounds they hear and let their imaginations run wild. The illustrations are wonderful.

Rating Scale
*= It was OK
**= Liked it
***= Recommended
****= Highly Recommended
*****= Favorite

I’m hoping to finish Stubborn Twig this week.