The Start of a New Year of Reading and Reading Challenges

Reading Challenge

With the pandemic, my reading has gone downhill. I really thought I would read more. That was not the case. This last year I took on a new subject to teach. I picked up a reading class and then was asked to teach Theatre. I had never taught theatre before. Once again with all the new things, my reading was not where I wanted it to be. So for this next year, I am going to complete two reading challenges. Both of them are A-Z challenges. I am not formally joining anyone's challenges. I am doing this on my own. I have made a list of books I own either in my classroom or on my Kindle that I haven't gotten to yet. I have a list of twenty-six books by title and an alphabetical list of books by the author. Below you will find my lists. I will not read them in order. Some of them have a review date. I am doing this for two reasons. First, I need to meet my goal for this school year set by a student, and this will help. The second reason is that I need to read these books and be knowledgeable enough to recommend them to my students. It is hard to talk up a book you have not read. I will post reviews and I will post links to those reviews.  Below my challenge, you will see links to some of the other challenges I considered. I even made lists for them. I am not going to stress myself as I have done in years past trying to hit all of the reading challenges. I will however introduce them to my students as I think it would be interesting to see if any of them might like a challenge.  I have attached links to where you can find the official challenges. I reserve the right to change books I have listed. The idea is to have fun and that means changing up books as I see fit.

A-Z Titles
Alone - D.J. Brazier
Bats and Bones - Jeffrey Hickey
Diamond Willow by Helen Frost
Easy Target by Tim Shoemaker

Free Lunch by Rex Ogle
The Great Wide Sea by M.H. Herlong
Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eager
I Survived the Hindenburg Disaster, 1937 by Lauren Tarshis
The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste
Katia by Bruce Judisch
Lions of Little Rock by Kristen Levind
Missing Okalee by Laura Ojeda Melchor
Ninelands by K.E. Boyer
Of Wise Oaks and Weeping Willows by Diane Robertson
Plum Springs by Dan Lawton
Quest Chasers: The Deadly Cavern by Thomas Lockhaven
The Robber Girl by Franny Billingsley
Sacred Mountains of China by Ryan Pyle
Trapped in 1867 by Christopher Francis+-
Unteachables by Gordon Korman
Voices of the Sea by Bethany Mason Harar
What Waits in the Woods - Kieran Scott
Poet X - Elizabeth Acevedo
Yellow Star -Jennifer Roy
Zane and the Hurricane by Rodman Philbrick

A-Z Authors

Appelt, Kathi - Maybe a Fox

Burger, Ariel - Witness: Lessons From Elie Wiesel's Classroom

Chmakova, Svetlana - Awkward

DeMartino, Craig - After the Fall

Ellis, Brandon - The PureLights of Ohm Totem

Francis, Christopher - World Inside My Plastic Mirror

Garber, Dennis - Travelers and the Four Doors of Artew

Henry, April - The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die

Inglis, Karen - The Secret Lake

James, Steven - Blur

Key, Watt - Beast

Longley, Barbara - The Twisted Road to You

Marshall, kate Alice - I Am Still Alive

Northrop, Michael - On Thin Ice

Ogle, Rex - Punching Bag

Preller, James - Before You go

Quaver, P.D. - Unplugged

Reynolds, Jason - All American Boys

Scott, Kieran - What Waits in the Water

Trump, Jacobina - Turn of the Tide

Underhill, Shawn - The Earthkeepers

Vigilante, Danette - The Trouble With Half a Moon

Wyatt, Kandi J. - Uprooted

Xavier, Tom - Neffatira's First Challenge

Young, Suzanne - The Program

Zane, Carolyn - Beyond the Storm

Color Coded Reading Challenge

Blue - Blue Birds by Caroline Starr Rose

Red - Uncle Bob's Red Flannel Bible Camp - Steve Vernon

Yellow – The Yellow Star Shines Like a Candle in the DArk - Aaron Seth

Green – The Girl With the Green Tinted Hair - Gavin Whyte

Brown – The narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown - Henry Box Brown

Black –The Black Towers - Ken Brosky

White – The Girl in the White Van by April Henry

Orange – Oranges for Christmas: A Berlin Wall Escape Novel by Margarita Morris

Rainbow –Rainbow in the cloud - Maya Angelou

Keyword Challenge 

January Keywords: Last, Girl, Dark, When, Winter, Light, Window
Girl in the Lake - India Hill Brown

February Keywords: Midnight, Never, Into, Sun, Love, Good, Spell, Search

The Cat I Never Named - Amra Sabic-El-Rayess

March Keywords: End, Fall, Loud, Queen, Woods, Nine, Beautiful, Crown

The Boy on the Wooden Box - Leon Leyson

April Keywords: Race, Now, Chose, While, Stop Burn, Red, One

One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance - Nikki Grimes

May Keywords: Thorn, Catch, Black, Under, City, Cloud, Sing, Legacy

Dragged from Under: The Bull Shark - Joseph Monninger

June Keywords: Sea, You, Hate, Perfect, Shade, Until, Beach, Little

Four Perfect Pebbles - Lila Perl & Marion Blumenthal Lazan

July Keywords: Star, Next, Infinity, Iron Word, People, Rise, Clear

Words With Wings - Nikki Grimes

August Keywords: Breath, Case, Hundred, Day, Happy, Language, Stay, Lie

Rhyming Poetry to Change Your Day - Philip Lister

September Keywords:  Bright, Here, Out, Life, Strange, Rule, Story Salt

From the Inside Out - Erik O. Ronningen

October Keywords:  House, Bone, Haunt, Body, Blood, Witch, Murder, Mystery

Keesha's House - Helen Frost

November Keywords:  Many, Boy, River, Fever, Down, Gold, Jade, Hill

Long Way Down - Jason Reynolds

December Keywords:  Still, Cabin, Night, Lake, By, Holiday, Fire

Terror At Wolf Lake - Max Elliot Anderson

If you are into, or want to try a reading challenge then you might want to try "Beat the Backlist".  All of my books above fit into this challenge and I can definitely read another to fit in that one place where a book on my list won't be out until February, making 52 books on my backlist of books that were published before 2022. That won't be a problem as the book Katia has two sequels. I learned this when checking out what else this author had written. So essentially I am officially/unofficially taking part in two reading challenges this year. Check out the "Beat the Backlist" challenge. 

Another Reading Challenge you might be interested in is the "Color Coded Reading Challenge" .  I actually have a list of books that would fit this challenge. I am not signing up officially. If I could get to it that would be great. I refuse to add any stress to my reading. 

Maybe your thing is reading books about being creative. If so then you might want to check out the "Creativity Reading Challenge".

"Mount TBR Challenge" would be another great one if you are like me and have hundreds of books on your TBR list. Again, I am sticking to the 52 book I have above, although they could count here as well.

Maybe you are a word nerd and need or want key words to help you choose a book. The "Key Word Challenge" would be for you then.

If you are into reading challenges then you might also want to check out the 2022 Master List of Reading Challenges. They have something for everyone.

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

 

I am reviewing a book on here because I have read it in three different languages and I am once again sharing it with my students. It is one of my all-time favorite books. I first read this book in my French class in my freshman year of high school. We moved to Florida the next year and I read it in my Spanish class. I read it the next year in English. 

No story has stood the test of time and is still as relevant today as it was when first written. This is a story of a little prince who leaves his planet, (an asteroid) and visits several other asteroids before finally landing on earth. What he learns from each of the men on those other asteroids is relevant today. We hear the phrase from each of the men on the planets he visits say they are concerned "with matters of consequence".  What is important is the question the prince must ask himself about what is important. He sees these adults as self-consumed and concerned with things that are vain and empty. It was important for me to share this wonderful book with my students, since these are things that must be discussed today.  A wonderful allegorical book that is full of wisdom. This book should be required reading in every middle or high school. There are so many lessons to be learned throughout the book. It is told in a manner that may be a little difficult to understand. This is great because it makes such wonderful discussions in the class. 

You may be wondering why I am speaking of this as a book for the classroom. To be clear, my blog was started years ago when I came to my current school. My husband suggested since I was teaching reading and students who were learning English at different levels that maybe I should start a blog where I talk about books. My students didn't seem to know how to find a good book. They were poor readers and so it was too much effort to try to sort that all out. My students AND parents are given my website and blog address at the beginning of the year. This way they can look for books for their children. So when I find a book this important for my students I believe it is just as important for the general public. So I offer this review with no apologies.

Charlotte's Snowman by Lainey Dee

 

This is a book that took me back to my childhood. The illustrations are simple, colorful, yet beautiful. Snowmen have always been a favorite of mine. So when I was asked to read and review this book it was a definite yes. I was expecting to read something similar to "Frosty the Snowman" and hoping it was different. I am happy to say it is.  Charlotte is so excited to find it has snowed and there is enough to make a snowman. She adds all of the usual things, stone eyes, stick mouth and arms, and a carrot nose.  It took me back to my childhood in Indiana.  I loved building snowmen.  I would look outside every day to make sure my snowman was still there. When we had a warm snap I was saddened because I knew that one day my snowman would melt. Unlike me, Charlotte built a snowman who was magical. It saddened her when the sun melted him. Her story turned out with an upbeat ending. 

The illustrations and the wonderful storytelling will charm children. This is a book I will see is on the shelves of our preschool and kindergarten classes. 

Cover Reveal and Special Pre-order Price for Uprooted by Kandi J. Wyatt

 Look what is coming from one of my favorite authors

Sold as a slave and uprooted from home, 18-year-old Hest must decide where his loyalties lie or risk losing his new friends.

At peace in the stable, Hest cares for the visitors to Stad while spinning tales of adventure for the innkeeper's son. But when a foreign warrior purchases him as a slave, he must decide if he's willing to live the adventures he's told.

With his new home under attack from an old enemy, Hest must learn to fight or lose his life in battle. While recuperating from injuries, he overhears a plot of treason. Choosing where his loyalties lie will seal his fate and that of a kingdom.

Hest's already lost one family. He'll do anything to keep his new one--even ride out to battle and most-certain death.

Uprooted is the first book in the coming-of-age fantasy series. The Sovereigns. If you like action, rounded character development and dragons, you'll love Kandi J. Wyatt's book.

Journey to a new world and start reading Uprooted today!

Even as a young girl, Kandi J Wyatt, had a knack for words. She loved to read them, even if it was on a shampoo bottle! By high school Kandi had learned to put words together on paper to create stories for those she loved. Nowadays, she writes for her kids, whether that's her own five or the hundreds of students she's been lucky to teach. When Kandi's not spinning words to create stories, she's using them to teach students about Spanish, life, and leadership.

 

Where to find her:

Website: http://kandijwyatt.com/
Facebook: http://facebook.com/kandijwyatt/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/kandijwyatt/

Pre-order link:  https://books2read.com/u/3R6BDL

Special ½ off sale for cover reveal day! Original price is $4.99.

On 12/7 Uprooted will be $2.99.

PLUS anyone that pre-orders can get free swag if they fill out this form after:  https://forms.gle/BhTpbcg9D93gSeUE6

Once Upon a Time by Sheryl Green

Genre: Informational writing

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Chapter 1 gets you right into the writing. The author of this book gives ten writing prompts and then does something wonderful. She asks two or three questions about the prompt to help move the writer forward. That is one thing my students often struggle with. They choose a prompt but don’t know how to move forward.

Chapter two deals with moving forward when you get writer’s block. She offers a lot of hints and tips to help you with this problem. Then you get ten more writing prompts.

Chapter three dealt with the elements of a story. You know what I am talking about. You create a world, and then populate that world with characters you have created.  Then you are given more tips and finally ten more writing prompts.

Chapter four is where the real work begins. You’ve written a story and this chapter teaches you how to make it better through editing and revision. This of course is followed by more tips and then ten more prompts.

This book is beneficial for children and adults alike. I can see me using this in my classroom at school. I highly recommend this book

Beyond Invisible by Marjorie Jackson

 

Source:  I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own

Genre:  Middle Grade, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Every now and then a book comes along at the perfect time. This is the sequel to the book "Being is Better". In the second book Missy is still trying to help her mother put her life back together. She is also crushing on her best friend's brother.  Her best friend Amber is still fighting to get her seizures under control.  Both of them have entered high school.  Missy is once again "strongly encouraged" to visit her father. She agrees to do this only if her best friend Amber can come with her. Her father agrees. Things are very tense between Missy and her father. Amber is there to help Missy keep her cool. This is especially important when they meet someone very important to her father; his girl friend.   While visiting her father they walk around town and stop into a yogurt shop. It is here that Amber meets the boy of her dreams, "Dev".

From this point forward you know as you read that things aren't quite what they seem.  Missy is still trying to find out what argument her brother Frankie had with her dad. This is the argument that sent her brother off into the military where he was killed.  Maybe with Amber, and her brother Mase's help they can solve this puzzle and figure where all of the other characters fit in.

This is a book of hope. We get a look at Missy's father and what a first class jerk he is. For kids who have gone through a family divorce and their life has been turned upside down, it shows them there can be a silver lining for them.  I am thrilled to put these two books on my shelves. May it reach out and touch so many lives.

Miraculous "A Whale of a Tale" by Walter Rouzer

 

Genre:  Middle Grade Fantasy

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review The opinions expressed here are my own.

Anyone who knows me as a reader knows I read books for two reasons. The first is because I love reading books of all genres and levels. The second is to pass on great books to my students.  This is one of those books. Hailee is a character I want my students to get to know. Why? I teach middle school and that is the most difficult time for most kids. Kids can be really cruel during this period of their life to others who are different.  Sometimes that cruelty, even though wrong is brought about by fear and a lack of understanding. That doesn’t justify it. It only explains why some kids are cruel when they see others who are different.

Hailee is born with physical issues as well as being mute. She is delivered by a veterinarian at a zoo who agrees to keep her because her parents reject her.  Trust me, the veterinarian is not really being kind to Hailee.  Hailee is put on display in the zoo like one of the animals. She is called the “Mushroom Monster”.  You would think that as she grows up she would be depressed and down.  Hailee is not this type of person. Mr. Higgins the zookeeper teaches Hailee that all beings have worth.  Hailee uses these lessons to help not only herself, but the animals around her. That is what I love about this story and this author. He created a character with a survival attitude full of hope. As sad and depressing as the story is at times it is also full of hope and a message about showing empathy and kindness.  Well done.

Grandma Rina’s Stories by Rina Barkan

Four wonderful books by one author, cute with a short message.

Baby Crocodile

Baby Crocodile swims with his mom and dad eating meat all day. One day he decides he is going to stop eating meat. His parents tell him he will have to leave the lake to find other kinds of food. He leaves and discovers that the food he needs is in his own lake.

 

Here’s a Story About a Zebra

Zebra Grevy is not like the other zebras. She has thin stripes and a white belly. The other zebras make
fun of her. Other animals tell her she is unique and should be celebrated for her uniqueness. She tries to be like them but she is a zebra. Then she finds a zebra who likes her and they make their own herd where all are welcomed no matter what they look like.

 

Who is More Important?

A traveler goes on a hike. When he gets tired he lays down next to a stream of water and quickly falls asleep. The different parts of his body start complaining because he is laying on rocks and thorns. His body parts start arguing about who is the most important. They finally decide to stop arguing about who is the most important and work to roll the traveler into a grassy meadow; off of the rocks and thorns.

 

Five Flavors King and Queen

In this book we discover there are five flavors. The King loves eating sweets. He sneaks down at night and eats and eats until he starts getting fat. His wife, the Queen tries to block the fridge. When she has it unblocked the King finds it full of sour and salty things. He eats so many of them his blood pressure goes up.  The king must learn how to eat healthy foods and that there are different types of flavors.

Being is Better by Marjorie Jackson

 

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Source: I received a copy to review

I absolutely loved this book.  The author has done a wonderful job of telling a story in alternating points of view. Not only will I put this book on my shelves at school, but will also use is to teach POV in a story. This author created two separate stories that merge into one.  Amber suffers from seizures. No one wants to be friends with her  so she remains invisible. Missy comes from a very dysfunctional family after the loss of her brother. She too has been invisible for so long. Her solution is to change herself to make herself noticed. Unfortunately she attacks the wrong type of friends.  Things change when the two meet and start talking. Friendship can heal so many hurts.  I have a sister and a niece who both suffer from the way Amber does.  I could sympathize with her family.  I have seen Missy's situation in the lives of so many of my students. Not all of them turn out the way Missy's does.  This is a book of raw pain, hope, and true friendship.  I am looking forward to reading the second book "Beyond Invisible" which comes out just a couple of days before Thanksgiving.  This is a definite must-read book.

The Grim Fugue by Alfred M. Struthers

Genre: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Mystery

Source: I reviewed a beta copy and purchased a copy.

I have loved all of the books in this series.  This one was by far my favorite. First, I have to say that the story took the suspense and fear to a whole new level. I felt fear for Nathan and Gina. In this book we learn something new and surprising about Nathan’s father. I loved the science aspect included in this book. We also find out something new about Jameson and why he is so passionate about this. In this book we are introduced to a new character named Burk. Loved his character and hope to see more of him in the future. I loved the way the author tied up one part of the mystery only to open the door to another part. I think the level of writing was stronger in this book. What I mean is that there was more conflict that kept moving the story forward. I would just catch my breath and then was hit with another wave of suspense. I feel I know Nathan well enough that I knew he would respond in a way that made me even more nervous for Nathan.  There is so much history here as well as science. It is obvious that the author did a lot of research.  I absolutely love when I read a book that is so well written that I can’t put it down. I also love a book where I learn something new.  This author has a tendency to do this with all of his books. It is such a loved series I have students fight over his books in my classroom. I recommend this book to everyone I can.