It's Monday! What are you reading? is the original weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. It's Monday! What are you reading? - from Picture Books to YA is a kidlit focused meme just like the original and is hosted weekly by Teach Mentor Texts. The purpose is the same: to recap what you have read and/or reviewed and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week.
It seems like I have been busy and not reading as much as usual, but here are the books I did read in the past week:
The Right Word: Roget and his Thesaurus by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
This is a beautifully illustrated book about the life of Paul Roget, the man who wrote the book on alternative words we can use so that we don't sound redundant.
Mr. Ferris and his Wheel by Kathryn Gibbs Davis, illustrated by Gilbert Ford
George Ferris created the sensation of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. Kids can read all about how Ferris's creative vision became the reality that is still a fun, favorite ride for kids of all ages.
The Shadow Hero by Gene Luen Yang and Sonny Liew
I love a well-done graphic novel and this is among the best. It is the story of a mild mannered Chinese American teen living in Chinatown in the 1930s and who just wants to work in the family's grocery store. But his mother has other plans and wants him to be a superhero, fighting crime and injustice. Yang's character, Hank Chu,is based on a comic book character from the Golden Age of Comics called The Green Turtle, which was written by a Chinese American cartoonist named Chu Hing and it may well have been the first Asian American superhero.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
This is a book that I haven't read in a long, long time, so I decided to read it again. It's a little wordier that I remembered and I can see why a reader might be attracted to an abridged version, but I think the original is still worth reading. I downloaded the original 1911 version from Project Gutenberg
Here is what I plan on reading this week:
Afterworlds by Scott Westerfield
Skink No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen
Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
Will Poole's Island by Tim Weed
I'm really looking forward to reading these this week. What are you looking forward to reading?
I meant to read Afterworlds in October...I own it, so it got passed over for library books. I can't wait to have time to dig in. Have a great week! ~Megan
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The Secret Garden is a classic I haven't read yet. I have a signed copy of The Shadow Hero I still have to read. So many good books on your list I have to read!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could find time for The Secret Garden again, maybe in the summer. I remember loving it. You've read some good books, Alex! I love The Right Word, already have it in the hands of a young student who is studying words-perfect for her. I still would love to find the picture book about Mr. Ferris-will be fun. Absolutely Almost is good, & I'll look for The Shadow Hero-interesting. I'm reading The Boys In The Boat-really, really good! Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited! I love Gene Luen Yang. American Born Chinese got me hooked on the power of graphic novels. Absolutely Almost is on my reading list for this week as well. It will be interesting to see what you think of it. I've kind of gotten away from reading Hiaason's stuff, but I think I'll go back and start reading the Skink series.
ReplyDeleteI'm really excited to read The Shadow Hero by Gene Luen Yang, particularly because Sonny Liew the artist is from Singapore. He contributed a chapter in a book I edited this year - such an amazing artist! :)
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to read a book by Westerfeld. Will check this one out.