Final Must Reads in 2016

It is hard to believe that I am writing my final Must Reads in 2016 post! It seems like just the other day I was getting ready to go back to school! It has been an interesting year, but one that I am happy to see end. Two major things have dominated my fall. I referenced one in my last post, my aunt fell and suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. It has been an adjustment for my family especially my mom, her sister. Aunt Ann continues to make slow progress and she is actually beginning to recognize us. So we are grateful for these small blessings. The other event was a cousin has been diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer. She had surgery in October and has now begun 18 weeks of chemotherapy. We are thinking positively and hoping for the best. So my reading has taken a bit of hit this fall. Though I did read most of my Must Reads! 

They are: Everyone Loves Bacon, Do Not Open The Box, Booked, Be A Friend, Bear's Big Day, Duck Duck Porcupine, Stormy Night, Hoot and Peep, Horrible Bear, Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics, Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to be in This Book), The War That Saved My Life, Comics Squad: Lunch, Firelight (Amulet #7), Hour of Bees, Phoebe and Her Unicorn, Chicken in Space, Pax, Twenty Yawns, Penguin's Christmas Wish, and It's Not Time For Sleeping.

Out of 29 books I read 21! I feel really good about this, considering everything that has been going on in my life. I'm still trying to work on my nonfiction book gap. I think this will be something that I am always going to be working on!

I also read some books that were not on my original Must Reads in 2016 posts. But if I had known about them when I was writing in January, I would have added them. They were Took, Interstellar Cinderella, Wolf Hollow, Ms. Bixby's Last Day, and Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor's Story

Two of these books have stuck with me for months after I read them. The first book was Ms. Bixby's Last Day by John David Anderson. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. This book is such an emotional roller coaster from the beginning to the end. I always love books that celebrate the education profession because we get a lot of negative thrown at us these days. This book reminded me why I got into this profession. I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. I have recommended it for so many of my teacher friends. One teacher at my school picked it up and is reading it to her class. But she was a bit mad because I didn't warn her that she would need tissues. In fact, she had to hand off the book to one student because she couldn't keep reading! This book is one that will stay with me for a long time. I have a feeling that I will be rereading this one again!



The second book was Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor's Story by Caren Stelson. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. I was able to read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. this book was published in October. Wow, just wow! This book is so powerful. I knew a bit about the creation of atomic bomb and the events surrounding the dropping of them. But I really didn't know about what happened in the areas after the bombs fell. My heart is heavy thinking about what all the innocent victims had to go through. This is a story that needs to be told. If you have not read this book, I highly suggest that you get a copy to read. This is a powerful read and one that I will never forget.

I hope everyone had a great reading year! I can't wait to see what everyone wants to read in 2017 because I need some ideas!

Happy Reading!!

Stacey (@libraryjo92)

It's Monday!! What Are You Reading?

This meme was started by Sheila at Book Journey. The kid's version was started by Jen at Teach Mentor Text and Kellee at Unleashing Readers.

I guess maybe my title should be: It's Monday, I'm Still Not Reading!!! I have not been doing a lot of reading. I am in a huge reading slump and I'm looking to my Nerdy book pals for some help! I've only posted once since July and I've been staying off Twitter. I guess I just needed to take a step back from a lot of things. I'm trying to get back to it, because I feel less alone with books and my friends on Twitter.

In August, actually my first day back to work, we found out that my aunt fell and suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. Her brain was so swollen that her brain stem moved. The bleeding was stopped and her brain isn't swollen anymore, but she will never be the same again. So I've been trying to help out my mom as she adjusts to a new normal with her sister. It has been hard to know that she went from being a healthy active person to someone who doesn't recognize her own family. I think that my family and I have been going through a bit of a depression over what has happened to my aunt. This makes you realize you need to live each day to the fullest and hug your loved ones tight!


I have read three books since October, the first was Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. I enjoyed this one. The first in the Magnus Chase series drew me back into the world of Rick Riordan. I wasn't loving the last few books that I had read of his and was very hesitant to pick up the Magnus Chase one, but I'm glad I did. This one doesn't disappoint either. 



The second book I read was The Creeping Shadow by Jonathan Stroud. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. I just LOVE this series and I may or may not have done a little happy dance in the book store when I saw this book. I am not a big creepy/scary book fan, but this one has just enough to make sure I don't read it at night. My students couldn't get enough of this series when we had it in the book fair. I know they will be excited about this installment. I can't wait to see what happens next in this series.

The third book that I read was Liberty by Kirby Larson. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. I knew that I would love this book even before I started page 1. Kirby Larson is an author who has turned me into a fan of historical fiction. Her words in this book wrapped around me like a warm blanket and allowed me escape reality for two hours straight because I couldn't put the book down until I finished it!

I'm hoping this post is the step in the right direction for me to get back to blogging and get back to being an active participant on Twitter. I will take any and all book suggestions!

Happy Reading!!

Stacey (@libraryjo92)

It's Monday!! What Are You Reading?

I can't believe it is October already! There has been SO much has gone on since I last posted. The new school year was off with a bang! It was a crazy time, but good time. And then I got sick! I was out of school for a week! I have never been off that long due to illness. I'm still not 100%, but I am on the road to recovery. It is going on month now and I'm ready to feel healthy again!

I find that when I am that sick, I cannot read! I am not able to focus long enough to follow a book. I was able to read a little bit, but not a whole lot during the time that I was really sick. To illustrate how sick I really was I was not able to finish Raina Telgemeier's new graphic novel Ghosts. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. I'm looking forward to starting it over again and enjoying it.

I have read a few picture books when I started to feel better. I read Salina Yoon's newest Penguin book Penguin's Christmas Wish. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. I can't say enough good things about this book. It is a bit bittersweet because this is her last Penguin book. Though, Salina has said that he will appear in other books. It was great to see other friends make an appearance in this book. If you haven't read any of Salina Yoon's Penguin books I highly recommend you run, not walk to get yourself a copy of these books. I am hoping to be able to meet Salina Yoon this May when she is appearing at a book festival near where I live. 

Two other books I read are also Christmas books too. I read Jan Brett's Gingerbread Christmas. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. One of my favorite books has been The Gingerbread Baby, so I was quite happy to see this one. There is always so much going on with the illustrations as soon as I finished reading the text, I had to go back and "read" the illustrations. I always find myself getting lost in Jan Brett's illustrations. This book will be published by Penguin Random House on October 18, 2016. I was sent this copy for review.

The second book I read was also sent to me by Penguin Random House and will also be published on October 18, 2016. It is Maple and Willow's Christmas Tree by Lori Nichols. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. This book was great! I didn't know until I went to record this on Goodreads that this is the fourth in a series about these two siblings. I loved how Willow worked hard to make Christmas better when things don't go as planned. I'm going to have to find the other books about these siblings.


Since I am hopefully on the mend I will be able to be reading some more!

Happy Reading!!

Stacey (@libraryjo92)

It's Monday!! What Are You Reading?

This meme was started by Sheila at Book Journey. The kid's version was started by Jen at Teach Mentor Text and Kellee at Unleashing Readers.


I am just LOVING getting back into the reading groove. I feel so much relaxed when I have time to read. It truly is what feeds my soul!


I've got two books to write about today. The first is The NOT so Quiet LIBRARY by Zachariah OHora. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. This book was just published last week. I just love any kind of book about libraries and books. I couldn't wait to get a hold of this book because I am a huge Zachariah OHora fan. I just LOVED his illustration of Wolfie the Bunny! I was not disappointed with this book. The message at the end is a great one for students. The front cover gives you a bit of a hit about why the library is not quiet. It took me a bit to spot the hint. But if I had opened up the cover to look at the back and front cover at the same time I would have figured it out right away. Make sure you take a look under the book jacket. I just attended a Scholastic Reading Summit and had the pleasure of attending sessions with Mr. Schu. He talked about the importance of teaching kids to appreciate all aspects of a book, including what is hiding under the jacket.

The second book this week is a chapter book by C.C. Payne called The Thing About Leftovers. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. I sat down to read a few chapters of the book as a reward for spending two hours really cleaning my house and doing laundry. Well, once I started this book I could not stop reading until I finished. Fizzy (Elizabeth), is a very easy character to relate to. Fizzy is dealing with learning a new normal after her parents divorce and start moving on with their lives. I can see this book being a really great one for students who have gone or are living through their parents divorce. Fizzy verbalizes many of the same emotions that they are having and this book might help them start some conversations. The book gave me some insights to how many of my students might be feeling as they go through this. I highly recommend you giving this book a try!

What have you been reading?

Happy Reading!!

Stacey (@libraryjo92)

Book Smiles

Book Smiles

I've got two books that made me smile this week.

The first one is Playtime? by Jeff Mack. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. I always love the simplicity of Jeff Mack's books. This one has only two words: playtime and bedtime. Like his other book, Look, the story is played out in the illustrations. I love the back and forth between the child and the gorilla. This is a great story for reading, but for also asking kids questions about the illustrations. Many kids don't know how to "read" illustrations. Since this one has so many details in the illustrations it is a great way to begin showing them how to "read" them.


The other book that made me smile is called 1 Big Salad: A Delicious Counting Book by Juana Medina. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. The cover of this book really caught my interest. There is a picture of a salad, but there are drawings on the items in the salad. This author/illustrator to a simple concept and turned it into something so much more. I think my favorite are the 8 flying walnuts! I can't wait to use this my kids! I plan reading this book with them and then giving them some printed pictures of everyday objects and seeing what they create.

What books have made you smile?

Stacey (@libraryjo92)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This meme was started by Sheila at Book Journey. The kid's version was started by Jen at Teach Mentor Text and Kellee at Unleashing Readers.

During my break from blogging I did read some books, so I'm going to use this post to post about two of my favorites. I received both of these books from Penguin Young Readers. The first is a chapter book and the second is a picture book.

The chapter book is Sweet Home Alaska by Carole Estby Dagg. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. I'm always excited when I read historical fiction book that I enjoy because for many years I stayed away from that genre. I said that it wasn't a genre I enjoyed. It just turned out I was reading the wrong historical fiction books! I loved how this book has a strong female character who never gives up. Previously visiting Alaska made this book even more interesting to me. The story is all about the settling of the Palmer Colony. Palmer happened to be a stop on my trip to Alaska. I knew that people went to Alaska and settled there, but I didn't know the history behind it. Make sure you read the author's note in the back of the book. I was so curious as to what made her decided to write about this period of time. Her notes answered my question!

The picture book that I read was Hensel and Gretel Ninja Chicks by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Rebecca J. Gomez and illustrated by Dan Santat. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. This is the third book in which beloved fairy/folk tales have had a ninja twist in them. This book does not disappoint! I'm a huge fan of fractured tales, so I have enjoyed reading them for myself and to my kids. I love how this book tied back to The Three Ninja Pigs. Dan Santat's illustrations are wonderful as usual! I'm never disappointed when looking at a book he illustrates. After I finish reading I have to go back and study his illustrations because they are incredible! With this ninja installment in my library, I think I'm going to have to have a ninja display next year. My kids can never get enough ninja books!

Happy Reading!!

Stacey (@libraryjo92)

Book Smiles: Eddie the Bully

I am a huge Henry Cole fan! So when I was approached by Little Bee Books to have a change to review Henry Cole's newest book I jumped at the chance! His newest book is called Eddie the Bully. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. This book is a great book for the elementary level because it shows straight forward examples of bullying behavior. Sometimes it is hard for young children to come up with examples, so this book will help with those discussions. A new student comes in and changes the dynamic of the class. I can see lots of discussions coming from the addition of this student. 


Henry Cole's illustrations are outstanding as usual! His personal story of dealing with a bully at the beginning of the book really adds a lot to the book. It also give a concrete example of a way to deal with a bully. It is something that I will share when I read it to my students and encourage my teachers to read if they are the ones sharing it with students. I will be purchasing a copy or two for my library when it is published on August 2, 2016!

Henry Cole at my school in 2013.

If you ever have the change to have Henry Cole visit your school, I highly recommend it! He is engaging to all ages, from PK-5th and even the adults! I had the pleasure of having him at my school three years ago. We will be trying to have him back this next school year!





What book has made you smile recently?

Happy Reading!!

Stacey (@libraryjo92)

It' Monday! What Are You Reading?

This meme was started by Sheila at Book Journey. The kid's version was started by Jen at Teach Mentor Text and Kellee at Unleashing Readers. So excited to get back to posting about the books I'm reading. In fact, I'm excited to be reading again. I went though quite a dry spell because I just couldn't focus on a lot, including reading.

I've been reading four early readers or ones that I called leveled readers. All four are due to be published on July 19, 2016. I received them from Penguin Young Readers to review. The four books are Slow, Slow Sloths by Bonnie Bader, Giraffes by Jennifer Dussling, Thomas Edison and His Bright Idea by Patricia Brennan Demuth, and Tiny Goes to the Movies by Cari Meister. Click the title for a summary on Goodreads. I know my kids are going to love these books. I love using the nonfiction books to introduce my Kindergarten students to research. We read the book, share a few neat facts, then they go back and try to write a sentence and draw a picture. I learned quite a bit about sloths and giraffes after reading these books. 

                     


I'm a little late to the party, but I have become obsessed with the musical Hamilton! I download the original Broadway cast recording and have been listening to it nonstop. I was so excited to find Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter. Click for a summary on Goodreads. It was so awesome to see the insights and thoughts behind the whole musical. Most times with musicals you don't get that behind the scenes look at the creation of them. Reading the all the little notes that went along the songs made them even more special. It was also so great to have the words to every song right there in front of me because there are some lyrics I missed. I haven't listened to a Broadway cast recording this much since I saw Phantom of the Opera for the first time. Now my dream is to one day see Hamilton! I'm planning on reading the biography that started it all this summer. And a am so happy that Lin-Manuel Miranda has made it cool to be a history nerd!

Happy Reading!!

Stacey (@libraryjo92)  

Update To My Must Read in 2016

I didn't post my update in April because something had to give and blogging was it. I've been reading many of my Must Reads in 2016 as well as a few that have been some Must Reads! Here is my original post. Looking back over those that I have read so far, I can't think of one that I haven't liked. Of course, there are some other books that have come up along the way. I've also been making an effort to read more nonfiction books. I've always said that nonfiction is my book gap. Out of the 29 that I first selected I've read 15 so far.

They are: Everyone Loves Bacon, Do Not Open The Box, Booked, Be A Friend, Bear's Big Day, Duck Duck Porcupine, Stormy Night, Hoot and Peep, Horrible Bear, Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics, Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to be in This Book), The War That Saved My Life, Comics Squad: Lunch, Firelight (Amulet #7), Hour of Bees, and Phoebe and Her Unicorn.

I have slipped in a few other reads that were not on my Must Reads in 2016. I really enjoyed Took by Mary Downing Hahn. It has enough creepy for my students without being too scary. It is on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan chapter book nominee list for next school year.  Also on the picture book list is Intersteller Cinderella by Deborah Underwood. This was a fun take on the typical Cinderella tale. 

I've read two that were not on my original list, but need to be on everyone's to read list. These two books have stayed with me long after I finished reading them. The first is Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. This book was incredibly well written and one that I could not put down. This book made me feel so many emotions, including ones that I was not expecting. I continued to think about the ending of this book for days after I finished it. If you haven't read this one yet, make sure you add it to the top of your to read list.

The second book is Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor's Story by Caren Stelson. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. I was able to read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. It will be published on October 1st. Wow, just wow! This book is so powerful. I knew a bit about the creation of atomic bomb and the events surrounding the dropping of them. But I really didn't know about what happened after the bombs fell. My heart is heavy thinking about what all the innocent victims had to go through. This is a story that needs to be told. Make sure you get a hold of a copy of this book in October. 

Happy Reading!!

Stacey (@libraryjo92)

It's Been A While

I can't believe that it is already July 5th! It has been three months since I've posted anything on this blog. This past year was my 20th year in education. I taught in the classroom (3rd Grade & 1st Grade) for 6 years, was the Media Specialist at a High School for 1 year, and I've been a Media Specialist at an Elementary School for 13 years. This year was one of the hardest in my professional career. I wasn't sure I was going to make it out on the other side, but I have and I'm trying to get back to doing things that I like to do.

I know that I shouldn't feel guilty about not blogging, but I do. It is something that I really enjoy doing. I'm going to try and work my way back to blogging at least once a week this summer. It might be more some weeks, but I'm going to try for one post. I know that I've been neglecting my Twitter feed as well, and that is going to change too. 

I'm also recommitting myself to taking care of myself. During the holidays, I put back on a little bit of my weight. Not too much, but enough for me to be frustrated. Because I continued to walk after school, I didn't put as much on as I most likely would have. The best part about summer is that I can get out and walk in the mornings. I started with a 2 mile walk and then bumped it up to a 2.5 mile walk. So I'm going to keep at it and really start watching what I eat again!

Happy Reading!!

Stacey (@libraryjo92)

It's Monday!! What Are You Reading?

This meme was started by Sheila at Book Journey. The kid's version was started by Jen at Teach Mentor Text and Kellee at Unleashing Readers. It feels like forever since I have posted about what I've been reading. It also feels like forever since I've done a lot of reading. I was planning on catching up during Spring Break, but life made me slow down and take some time with my family. I had to go back home to PA for a funeral. I won't have wanted to be any other place than with family during our time to say good bye. 

I've been in the madness that is my March BOOK Madness. See the previous post. I'm now done to the final two, Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast by Josh Funk vs. Please Mr. Panda by Steve Anthony. Can't wait to see who will win!! Stay tuned!

I started back to work last Tuesday from Spring Break, but there was no easing back in. I was finishing all the prep work for my school visit from Marc Tyler Nobleman. He has written over 70 books, but his visit was focused on Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman and Billy the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman. I'll be posting abut his visit later this week. A sneak peek: It was AWESOME!!!!

Now on to my reading for the past few weeks. I've read The Nest by Kenneth Oppel and illustrated Jon Klassen. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. Such an interesting book. I'm still trying to decide if I liked or if I didn't. I'm having a hard time deciding. On one hand the story was interesting enough to hold my interest and continue reading to fine out how it ended. On the other hand, the plot was a little out there, even for me. In a few months, a reread might be in order. I'm interested to see what others thought. There were not a lot of illustrations in this book, but Jon Klassen made them really creepy which fits to overall theme of this book.


I read Phoebe and Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. I mainly read this book because it is a  Maryland Black-Eyed Susan nominated book for Graphic Novels. It has been widely popular with my students. In fact, I had to check it out from the public library because it was never on my shelf for long! I can see why my students like the book. I enjoyed the book and can't wait to share the second and third book with my students.


The last book that I managed to read in the past few weeks was Took by Mary Downing Hahn. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. I've always been a fan of Mary Downing Hahn. As I was growing up, I could always count on her for a scary read and this one did not disappoint! This is a Maryland Black-Eyed Susan nominated book for chapter books next school year. I know that many of my students will be lining up to read this book. Ghost stories are always so popular. I started this book the last day of my Spring Break and I had to finish it before I went to bed that night. Even though, I had to stay up past my bedtime. But the book was worth it.

I'll be posting this week about my March BOOK Madness and my visit from Marc Tyler Nobleman, so stay tuned!

Happy Reading!!

Stacey (@libraryjo92)

The End Of March Already!!

Time sure is flying by. I'm still wondering what happened to February and most of March! I've been doing some reading, but not a lot. I've had a lot going on with my March BOOK Madness. Last year my assistant took care of the bulletin board and updating it, but this year she is gone and I've taken it on. I didn't realize how much work it took at the beginning since I start with 16 pairs (32 books)! But I have loved every minute! Except when I had a few students decided to cheat. I put a stop to it as soon as I found out. 

These are the 16 pairs I started with:

Another Brother versus I Wanna New Room

My Pet Book versus This Book Just Ate My Dog

I Don't Wanna Be a Frog versus McToad Mows Tiny Island

Darth Vader and Son versus Vader's Little Princess

Wolfie the Bunny versus I'll Chomp You

Bear Alert versus Mother Bruce

Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast versus Happy Birthday Cupcake

Little Tree versus Stick and Stone

Friendshape versus Happy

Pom Pom Panda Gets the Grumps versus Please Mr. Panda

Rodeo Red versus Marilyn's Monster

Where Are My Books versus Dewey Bob

The Whale in My Swimming Pool versus Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great

Snoozefest versus Goodnight Already

Snappsy the Alligator (Didn't Ask to Be in This Book) versus The Watermelon Seed

Ballet Cat: Totally Secret Secret versus If You Ever Wanted to Bring an Alligator to School, Don't!

I'm now down to the Final Four:

This Book Just Ate My Dog versus Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast

Please Mr. Panda versus If You Ever Wanted to Bring an Alligator to School, Don't!

I can't wait to see who wins!!

I'm going to try and get blogging again. Time just got away from me. Hopefully I'll be able to get into a routine again. I've already got a good start on my update to my Must Reads in 2016. I know that post will be coming soon.

Happy Reading!!

Stacey (@libraryjo92)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This meme was started by Sheila at Book Journey. The kid's version was started by Jen at Teach Mentor Text and Kellee at Unleashing Readers.

It has been another crazy week! And one that I thought would never end. I had quite a few meeting after school and I had to visit one of my mentees this week. Most nights I didn't get home until after 8:00pm. I was just so tired I didn't feel like reading! 


This past weekend I did finish Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics by Chris Grabenstein. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. This was a great follow-up to the first book Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library. I loved all the references to many of my favorite books! The appearances of some fellow nerdy book club members were an added bonus! The Dewey references made a little test for me to see if I knew what subject was being referenced. But once again this book made me realize how bad I am at rebus questions. So I won't be answering any of those questions if I find myself competing in the Library Olympics!

Hope you had a better reading week than I did. I'm going to try to dive back into Bone Gap and see if I can get into it.

Happy Reading!!

Stacey (@libraryjo92)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This meme was started by Sheila at Book Journey. The kid's version was started by Jen at Teach Mentor Text and Kellee at Unleashing Readers.

 I am SO happy with my reading this year so far. I didn't meet my goal, of 300 books on Goodreads last year. After this school year started I really went down hill with my reading. I was just so overwhelmed with new mentees, a new assistant, and about 200 new students. Due to a new elementary school being built my school was part of the redistricting that happened. So a lot of my energy went into learning about my new students. I really didn't have a lot of time or energy to devote to reading. Well, I wanted to change that going into 2016. And it has changed! Since I didn't meet the 300 book challenge last year, I lowered my goal to 200. But I do know that I can change the goal if I get close. So far this year I have read 40 new to me books this year!

I've pick three of my recent favorites to write about today. The first I heard about while shoveling snow on Matthew Winner's Let's Get Busy podcast. The book is I Will Chomp You! by Jory John and illustrated by Bob Shea. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. This is such a fun book to read myself and I know it will be even more fun to read aloud with the kids. The main character warns you that if you keep turning the pages you will be chomped. The kids will love how there is a separate page all to itself when he tries to chomp you. I won't give away the ending because it is so fun! I will say to make sure you check out the back flap of the book and see the illustrations that Bob Shea drew of himself and Jory John for the author and illustrator bios. They are one of my favorite parts of the book! 

The second book is by Maryland author Timothy Young, Do Not Open The Box! Click here for a summary on Goodreads. It is so fun to finally have a copy of this book in my hands. Timothy Young had visited my school in April 2015. He does a great school visit. You can read all about his visit to my school here, on my school Media Center blog. During his visit, he gave us a sneak peek into his new book which is this one. I never grew up with siblings, but I've been told all about the different pranks that my friends played on theirs. This is a fun read for all. If you are not familiar with Timothy Young's books you need to check them out. My favorite is The Angry Little Puffin! I highly recommend this book to everyone!


The third book is Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book) by Julie Falatko and illustrated by Tim Miller. Click here for a summary on Goodreads. To say I liked this book would be an understatement. I loved this book from the moment I peeked under the book jacket until I finished the last page! Snappsy doesn't seem to like that the narrator makes his every ordinary day tasks seems extraordinary. You have to read this book to appreciate the humor and interplay between Snappsy and the narrator! I know that this one will become the favorite of many of my students. It has become one of mine!!

I'm in the process of reading Bone Gap by Laura Ruby and Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics by Chris Grabenstein. I know, two totally opposite books. I'm not sure what I think of Bone Gap yet. I don't think I have gotten far enough into it yet to give a honest opinion. And of course, I already love Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics!

What have you been reading?

Happy Reading!!

Stacey (@libraryjo92)