It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's been far too long since I've joined #IMWAYR hosted by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers . The year started off with me in a deep reading slump. I had read so many wonderful books in 2017 that I was feeling a major book hangover early on in 2018. I'm feeling back in the groove, so I figured I'd share what I'm reading this week with It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Middle Grade Fiction

The Ethan I Was Before by Ali Standish

I finished up a five star read early in the week. If you haven't put The Ethan I was Before on your TBR, you need to add it right now! The book is so well written and unique as it blends several subplots (including flashblacks) into one story that is unforgettable. It focuses on main character, Ethan, as he begins to examine how he was before witnessing a tragic event. Ethan's PTSD makes him an unreliable narrator at times as he comes to grips with his life before the accident in Massachusetts and his new life in North Carolina. This book will strike a chord with lovers of The Thing About Jellyfish, The Bridge to Terabitha and Walk Two Moons.

This is a great book you'll want in your classroom library. I felt like this book tackled many tough issues but on an appropriate level for middle grade readers. The story will be one that'll stay with you long after you've put it down! I can't wait to see what debut author Ali Standish releases next!

When Friendship Followed Me Home by Paul Griffin

My love affair with dog books continue. I did a post earlier this month about my students' obsession with dog books, you can check it out {here}. Because I also love a good dog story, I downloaded When Friendship Followed Me Home as my next audiobook. The author himself is the narrator on the audiobook. This book had me hooked from the very beginning.

Well crafted characters and an adorable homeless dog make this story unputdownable! I'm about half way through the audiobook and plan on finishing it this week even if I have to drive around town as an excuse to finish it up! Readers that loved Maxi's Secrets or The Honest Truth, will love this "more than a dog" story!

Up next in my TBR pile... 

Fenway and Hattie and the Evil Bunny Gang by Victoria J. Coe

What are you reading this Monday?

Must Read Monday: Spring Break Edition {Matched series}

Welcome to my spring break addition of Must Read Monday hosted by the fabulous Amanda at Teaching Maddness! Since, it's spring break, I put down some of my students' book club novels and picked up something I've been wanting to read. What is my genre of choice? Seventh grade girl science fiction of course!  This past weekend I read, Matched by Ally Condie. Many of my students have read The Hunger Games and Divergent but I don't put those out in my library since they are more mature novels that I feel parents should be giving the "okay" on. However, Matched is the least "teen" of them all so far...

Matched is about a futuristic society in which girls and boys are "matched" at seventeen. When you become matched this is the person you will marry and spend the rest of your life with. You also are put into a career path and start toward down the road to adulthood. All is well for Cassia, the main character, until there is a glitch in the matching system and she gets two matches! Oh no!

The first book was a fast read. Plus, it was very PG. Nothing "young adult" really takes place in the novel besides a few dates. I would definitely consider letting a few of my higher readers choose this book to read for pleasure with a parent approval. According to Scholastic Book Wizard the Guided Reading Level is a Z and the lexile is 680.

I've started on the second book, Crossed today. So far, I'm not a big fan. The book is no longer told solely by the main character but alternates between characters. It doesn't flow quite as quickly or as smoothly has the first book Matched. If you're into this genre or teach older students, I highly recommend Scott Westerfield's Uglies series! So far, it has this series topped in writing, plot, and style.

My goal is to read the trilogy over break and then decide they can go in the classroom library. Many of my students grabbed copies at our recent Scholastic Book Fair because they were near Hunger Games and Divergent. I can already tell I'm not going to enjoy them quite as much as Hunger Games or Divergent but they may be the most appropriate for my fifth graders who love that genre. We shall have to wait and see!

Must Read Monday: Dog Lovers Edition!

I'm so excited that I can finally link up with Amanda from Teaching Maddness for her Must-Read Monday linky! This week her focus is on books for dog lovers, so I decided to link up another "doggone" good read!

We all know that I have a soft spot for my two rescued fur babies... even when they fight over the same Yoda toy! So, I was thrilled to join up with a new favorite book for dog lovers!

My new favorite dog lover book is actually historical fiction! The book is called Kizzy Ann Stamps by Jerri Watts. This is my second year for using the book as a read aloud during my integrated Civil Rights unit. The book is about a young African American girl growing up in rural Virgina during the school year of 1963. The girl realizes that racial tensions are high and she doesn't quite fit in at her new "white school." However, her dog, Shag seems to be the perfect buffer between Kizzy Ann and her new classmates! Written in journal style, this book is super easy to read and is a great introduction to historical fiction. My students are loving this novel (both boys and girls)! If you love Because of Winn Dixie, this book has many similar themes.

You can listen to the first chapter of Kizzy Ann Stamps via Amazon. You can also check out a summary and short video of the novel by downloading the Scholastic Book Fair app. I also plan on showing my student this short video from Animal Planet's Dogs 101 about Border Collies.

In the book, Shag makes a great herding dog and is learning how to herd for an important training competition that not only tests Kizzy's skills but breaks down the color barrier as well! 

I highly recommend this book for 4th - 5th graders who love dogs! According to Scholastic, the book's DRA level is a "T" and lexile level is 920. This book is also great because you don't have to read "every" entry if you want to use it for a read aloud or short genre study on historical fiction. It's definitely worth checking out at your Scholastic Book Fair or library! Go check out Amanda's blog for some other great dog picks... she has a few of my favorites posted!

What novel are you reading in you classroom?