It's Monday! Here's What I'm Reading...

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

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now…who knows, you might discover that next “must read” book!

Read more: http://www.teachmentortexts.com/2013/03/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-31113.html#ixzz2NGtbE7TD

I'm almost a little embarrassed to say that I have not done much reading in the past month.  I can thank the flu for leaving its mark on me and my family, derailing all my plans to plow through my reading list.  But if you've been following the few "It's Monday! What are you reading?" posts I've participated in, you'll find that I rarely read what I plan to read.  I usually follow whatever my inner reading spirit fancies at the moment.

Image from here

This weekend, I picked up a book that my daughter had read recently.  It was one of the first that ushered her into a love of reading -- something she did not develop until recently, and it was a source of anxiety for me.  In reading this book, I was pleasantly surprised  not only by the story, but to learn that the author was born in San Diego (I grew up there!), hails from Northern California (yay!), went to Cal (double yay!) and that her book was published by Chronicle Books --a Northern California publishing icon.  The book I'm referring to is Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows.

As much as I LOVE reading, my daughter -- as previously mentioned --  did not possess the same passion until she came across this series and Judy Blume's Fudge series.  I can thank both Ms. Blume and Ms. Barrows for starting my daughter on the road to staying up past her bedtime in order to read one more chapter. :)  And I and genuinely and wholeheartedly grateful.  My little reader is blossoming thanks to some very talented writers.

You can learn more about Ivy and Bean, and author Annie Barrows at
http://www.anniebarrows.com/ivyandbean/

You can also learn about illustrator, Sophie Blackall at
http://www.sophieblackall.com/frameintro.html

On a side note, as a member of SCBWI (Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators), I had an opportunity to attend a meet and greet event at Chronicle Book.  I was hoping to go -- especially after reading Ivy and Bean, but sadly scheduling and health issues prevented it from happening.  Perhaps another time.


What do I plan on reading next?
I know not.  But here are some new titles on my ever growing list:

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Happy Monday, and Happy Reading!

Active Readers and Other Oxymorons

Active readers.  That may sound like an oxymoron to some. You know, like "jumbo shrimp", "pretty ugly", or -- if you know my Filipino family -- "Filipino vegetarian" (you gotta know my family to really appreciate that one).

Active would most certainly imply the exertion of some sort of energy. Readers bring to mind those in a sedentary state -- pensive, but motionless. Take a look at this group of children:

They are all reading. Every. Single. One. Better yet: they are all actively involved in their reading. They read eagerly, discuss the events in their books, and share with each other their enthusiasm for what they've read.

I LOVE that my class -- my wonderful full-inclusion mix of a class with autism spectrum disorders, learning disabilities, and typical kids growing all together --has learned to love reading in whatever manner they can. Some read through pictures, others retell stories we've read together, others practical inhale the books they read.  They didn't all start out this way. To be honest, many of the kids in my class were reluctant readers. Oh, I still have a few of them, but they have ALL learned to find a book or magazine in my class that they enjoy. And I'm ok with that. I feel like I've planted a seed, and it has started to grow before I expected it. I'm so excited!