It's Monday! What Are You Reading? July 8, 2013

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA!

These memes were started by Teach Mentor Texts and Book Journeys, to inspire readers to share books they have read and will be reading. I have found many of my current reads by following bloggers participating in It’s Monday! What are you reading? Be sure to check out their sites for more information on what they are reading, and learn how to participate. 

                  



Last Week’s Favorites:

Title: Contaminated
Author:  Em Garner 
Review:  I wrote a review, a few days ago, for this book, which will be released on July 23.

 

 Title:  Three Hens and a Peacock
Author: Lester Laminack
Illustrator:  Henry Cole
Review: In true Lester Laminack fashion, readers learn about acceptance and appreciation of others, through Three Hens and a Peacock.  The three hens are jealous of the new peacock, who is receiving more attention than they have ever received.  Therefore, the hens and the peacock decide to reverse roles for a day, and they quickly learn how difficult it is to be something that you  are not.

 

 Title:  Ian's Walk:  A Story About Autism
Author: Laurie Lears
Illustrator:  Karen Ritz
Review: It's the perfect day for a walk, but Tara and Julie must take their little brother Ian on the walk with them.  A walk for Ian is a completely different sensory experience than a walk for Julie and Tara.  Ian enjoys sights, sounds and touch is a completely different way than most people.  This would be a great text to use with students, of all ages, to begin explaining the sensory portion of autism.

 

 Title: On A Beam of Light:  A Story of Albert Einstein
Author:  Jennifer Berne
Illustrator:  Vladimir Radunsky
Review: This is by far one of my favorite non-fiction picture books!  Albert Einstein spent his life questioning and wondering about everything around him.  Many people thought he would never succeed because he was so different, but he obviously did more than just succeed. .  The aspect I loved most, about this book, is the focus around he how questioned everything, no matter what anyone else thought.  Jennifer Berne uses the story of Albert Einstein to inspire young children to continually question and solve life's wonderings. 

 


Title:  The Pet Project:  Cute and Cuddly Vicious Verses
Author:  Lisa Wheeler
Illustrator:  Zachariah Ohora 
Review: Poetry is something I try very hard to love, but I'm just not there yet.  However, The Pet Project is a poetry book worth loving.  A young girl wants a new pet, but her parents require her to research and create a scientific plan, for all options, before deciding on a favorite.  There is a poem for each animal observed and the results of each environment observed.  This would be a great poetry mentor text when teaching the scientific method.

 


Title:  Timmy Failure:  Mistakes Were Made
Author:  Stephan Pastis
Review:  I can't wait to recommend this book to students!  Timmy runs a detective agency with his pet polar bear, Total.  However, Timmy lacks a sense of social thinking and seems to miss the obvious, within every case he tries to solve.   I plan on using this book when teaching examples of social thinking.  Students who love Wimpy Kid are sure to love Timmy Failure!

 

Title:  How to Be Human:  Diary of an Autistic Girl
Author:  Florida Franz
Review:  I also wrote a review, a couple days ago, for this book, which will be released on September 10.  I highly recommend all teachers, parents and peers, of someone with autism, to read this book!

 

Title:  Living with Jackie Chan
Author:  Jo Knowles
Review:  This is the follow up to Jumping Off Swings, a book I have yet to read.  However, that did not keep me from loving this book.  Readers follow Josh through ups and downs of his senior year at a new school, in a new town, while living with his uncle.  Josh is trying to come to terms with giving a son, he never met, up for adoption.  What Josh never expected is that karate would be just the way to learn to except things he can not change. Look for this book to be released on September 10, 2013.

Reading Plans for this Week: 

Title:  The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom
Author:  Christopher Healy
Illustrator:  Todd Harris



Title:  The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle
Author:  Christopher Healy



    
Title:  Rotters (Audio Book free from SYNC until July 3) 
Author:  Daniel Kraus
Still listening!  This is a long one, and because of the content, it's difficult to sneak listening moments in, when my children aren't around.

 


Title:  Eye of the Storm
Author:  Kate Messner

 

Title:  Whoever You Are
Author:  Mem Fox
Illustrator:  Leslie Staub

 


Title:  Skin Again
Author:  bell hooks
Illustrator:  Chris Raschka

 


Title:  We Share One World
Author:  Jane E. Hoffelt
Illustrator:  Marty Husted




Title:  All the Colors of the Earth
Author:  Sheila Hamanaka




Title:  Same, Same but Different
Author:  Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw

 

Title:  A Land We Can Share:  Teaching Literacy to Students with Autism
Author:  Paula Kluth and Kelly Chandler-Olcott