It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

What I read last week:

I am truly alarmed by the amount of books being banned in America. I looked through the list compiled by Pen America (https://pen.org/banned-in-the-usa/), and I'm reading some of the books I'm not already familiar with. Peanut Goes for the Gold and Because are both picture books that have either been challenged or banned recently. 

You can go here for my review of Peanut Goes for the Gold. 

Because by Mo Willems is a beautiful picture book about the impact of music on people's lives. It highlights all the variables that go into making one performance happen, from the original composer to the orchestra members, to the child who sits in the audience and becomes inspired to make her own music. I was in the school orchestra when I was a child, and the experience enriched my life in so many ways. This book truly touched my heart. I don't know why this book has been banned. I feel the same way about the 99% of the books currently being banned or challenged. 

 

      

My first grader came home the other day and asked me, "Mommy, am I fat?" Some of the other first graders were asking each other if they were fat. I really hate that this conversation is happening at such a young age, but after we talked about body positivity, we checked out Abigail the Whale and Bodies are Cool from the library. My daughter was especially enthralled with Bodies are Cool, she asked a lot of questions about scars, prosthetics, and differences spotted among the beautiful illustrations. I also appreciated that CGMs and insulin pumps were shown on some of the folks. 

 

Currently reading:

 

 

Up next:

What are you reading?