A 5th grader weighs in with a list of books....

So. B. It - A very exciting book with many twists and turns.

Soof - The sequel to So. B. It. Just as good as each other.

A Writer's Notebook - I made my own notebook after.

Blended - It inspired me greatly.

Trevor Noah, Born a Crime - The kids version, I loved it so much I read it multiple times.

A Good Kind of Trouble - One of my favorite books.

The Hero Two Doors Down - It was one of those books that made me keep wanting to read more.

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit - actually re-read this because I have the two sequels that I still need to read and loved it even more the second time.

Harry Potter 1, 2, 3 & 4 - love these, very exciting but had to stop because it was too much HP all at once.

Many David Williams books - love all of these!

Picture books and more.....

Some notes:

There are two memoirs - Normal is a memoir told in two voices; a mother and son explain what it's like to be a real life "Wonder."  It's wonderfully loving. Marshfield Dreams is by Ralph Fletcher, one of my all time favorite authors. It helps that he grew up in a large family like I did. If you wonder what that's like, read this book as the Fletcher family was something else.

Three non-fiction books: We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices is an incredible anthology from minority authors and illustrators. Published in 2018 it offers a dose of reality but is also full of hope and love. Highly recommend; The Wildest Race Ever is the story of the 1904 Olympic marathon in St. Louis. The writing is a little confusing but it's a fun read, especially when compared to today's marathoners; finally, Bold and Brave is a collective biography about women who fought and made a difference when it came to getting women the right to vote. Amazingly, that was only 100 years ago. I have ordered two - one for the great nieces in Rhode Island and one for the great niece (and her brothers) in Italy. If they're going to change the world they'll need a little bit of history.

Pet Heist is a Kathy Jarombek recommendation. Just read it this morning and loved the goofiness of the story;

Our Friend Hedgehog is a delightful early chapter book about making friends.

I loved The Next Great Jane - it's a lovely story about a girl with a big dream, trying to figure things out and realizing first impressions aren't always the right impressions.

What I've Read.....

Here we go - first round up of books for the summer.....



A few notes....

The Nameless City and Restart are middle grade Nutmeg nominees; I am not a huge fantasy fan but I do enjoy a good graphic novel so The Nameless City was an enjoyable read and is the first of a series. Restart was a bit predictable but I loved the story and I found myself rooting for all the right characters.

The Cardboard Kingdom should be your go to book if you're looking for creative inspiration.

Feelings can be confusing but in Niko Draws a Feeling, Niko finds someone who gets it. 

An ABC of Equality is coming out in hardcover in July. This is a board book that I bought and sent off to my great nieces. I loved it.

The Fierce 44 is a collective biography of 44 Black Americans. Some excellent information in there about folks who have made the world a better place.

Lift is a visual delight!

One Last Shot is an enjoyable read about a boy just trying to find his way in the world while not disappointing his dad. Miniature golf is the answer.

I forgot how much I enjoy Andrew Clements. The Loser's Club did not disappoint. How could a book about making reading cool disappoint a librarian :-)

Books I am looking forward to reading (or rereading) this summer....

Happy Summer and welcome to my summer reading blog. Check back periodically to see what I've been reading. And if you have a book you'd like to share, complete this form and I will highlight it here.

To kick us off....

I will most definitely be reading the Nutmeg nominees....these are for 4th and 5th graders:

Framed! By James Ponti

Front Desk by Kelly Yang

The Great Treehouse War by Lisa Graff

I Love You Michael Collins by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess by Shari Green

The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks

New Kid by Jerry Craft

The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street by Lindsay Currie

Restart by Gordon Korman

We’re Not From Here by Geoff Rodkey

I've read a few already and my favorite so far is Macy McMillan. New Kid, a graphic memoir by Jerry Craft is an incredibly powerful memoir. Worth a read for both kids and adults as it would be a great conversation starter.

And here are the 2nd and 3rd grade nominees:

After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) by Dan Santat

Because by Mo Willems

Borrowing Bunnies: A Surprising True Tale of Fostering Rabbits by Cynthia Lord

The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell

Carter Reads the Newspaper by Deborah Hopkinson

Game Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams by Lesa Cline-Ransome

Ida, Always by Caron Levis

The Infamous Ratsos by Kara LaReau

Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen by Debbi Michiko Florence

Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando by Andrea Wang

Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship by Jessica Kensky & Patrick Downes

Seashells: More Than a Home by Melissa Stewart

We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

Wedgie & Gizmo by Suzanne Selfors

The World is Not a Rectangle: A Portrait of Architect Zaha Hadid by Jeanette Winter

Haven't read as many on this list but if you'd like to laugh, pick up We Don't Eat Our Classmates.

Books I plan on rereading this summer include:

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

Marshfield Dreams and How to Write Your Life Story by Ralph Fletcher

A Year Down Yonder and A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck