Sunday, December 31, 2023

2023 Reading

 January (21)

1. As Good as Dead by Holly Jackson (1/1)
2. Diper Överlöde (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #17) by Greg Kinney (1/4)
4. Happy Sloth Day! by April Pulley Sayre (1/5)
5. The Adventures of Dr. Sloth: Rebecca Cliffe and Her Quest to Protect Sloths by Suzi Eszterhas (1/5)
6. Rewilding: Bringing Wildlife Back Where It Belongs by David A. Steen and Chiara Fedele (1/9)
7. Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas (1/13)*
8. Cursed by Marissa Meyer (1/15)* 
9. A Journey Under the Sea by Craig Foster (1/18)
10. Two Degrees by Alan Gratz (1/21)*
11. To Change a Planet by Christina Soontornvat (1/22)*
12. I Am Ruby Bridges: How one six-year-old girl's march to school changed the world by Ruby Bridges (1/22)
13. The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Mac Barnett (1/22)*
14. The Tower of Life: How Yaffa Eliach rebuilt her town in stories and photographs by Chana Stifle (1/22)
15. Go Left by Marc Colagiovanni (1/22)
16. We Are Here by Tami Charles (1/22)*
17. Holding Her Own: the exceptional life of Jackie Ormes by Traci N. Todd (1/22)
18. Wait and See by Helen Frost and Rick Lieder (1/22)*
19. True You: a gender journey by Gwen Agna and Shelley Rotner (1/22)*
20. Booked by Kwame Alexander (1/22)
21. The Cool Code by Deirdre Langeland (1/26)

February (11)
22. Step Right Up: How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World about Kindness by Donna Janell Bowman (2/1)*
23. Soul of the Deep by Natasha Bowen (2/3)*
24. The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander (2/7)*
25. Melvin the Mouth by Katherine Blanc (2/14)
26. Lift Your Light a Little Higher by Heather Henson (2/15)*
27. This is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender (2/19)
28. Unraveller by Frances Hardinge (2/24)*
29. Flamingo by Goujing (2/24)*
30. Leon the Extraordinary by Jamar Nicholas (2/24)
31. A Storm of Horses: the Story of Artist Rosa Bonheur by Ruth Sanderson (2/24)
32. Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson (2/28)*

March (13)
33. This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi (3/2)*
34. Mary Anne's Bad Luck Mystery (Babysitters Club Graphic Novel #13 (3/3)
35. Girl Running: Bobbi Gibb and the Boston Marathon by Annette Bay Pimentel (3/8)*
36. The Girl Who Ran: Bobbi Gibb the First Woman to Run the Boston Marathon by Frances Poletti & Kristina Yee (3/8)
37. Winter Bunderland by James Patterson (3/12)
38. A Thousand Steps into Night by Traci Chee (3/13)
39. The Flying Horse by Sarah Maslin Nir (3/19)
40. Inheritance: a Visual Poem by Elizabeth Acevedo (3/20)*
41. Just Jerry: How Drawing Shaped My Life by Jerry Pinkney (3/22)*
42. Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro (3/23)
43. The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden (3/30)
44. Where Have All the Birds Gone? by Rebecca E. Hirsch (3/30)
45. Squished by Megan Wagner Lloyd (3/31)

April (8)
46. Awe: the New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life by Dacher Keltner (4/6)
47. Dog Man Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea by Dav Pilkey (4/6)
48. Loveless by Alice Oseman (4/12)
49. Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood (4/15)*
50. Nat for Nothing by Maria Scrivan (4/16)
51. The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams (4/21)*
52. The Stolen Heir by Holly Black (4/30)*
53. School Trip by Jerry Craft (4/30)*

May (13)
54. A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat (5/4)
55. Bloom by Kenneth Oppel (5/9)
56. The Librarian of Auschwitz: the Graphic Novel adapted by Salva Rubio (5/10)
57. Sunshine by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (5/12)*
58. Captain America: the Ghost Army by Alan Gratz (5/12)
59. Colin Kaepernick: Change the Game: a Graphic Novel by Colin Kaepernick and Eve L. Ewing (5/15)
60. We are Totally Normal by Rahul Kanakia (5/15)
62. The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera (5/24)*
63. Hands by Torrey Maldonado (5/26)*
64. Every Body: a First Conversation about Bodies (5/29)
65. Bomb Graphic Novel: the Race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin (5/31)
66. The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt (5/31)*

June (10)
67. The Storyteller by Brandon Hobson (6/5)
68. An American Story by Kwame Alexander (6/6)*
69. Home Away from Home by Cynthia Lord (6/9)*
71. Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow (6/13)*
72. Fry Bread: a Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard (6/16)*
73. Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Bouley (6/21)*
74. Thieve's Gambit by Kayvion Lewis (6/25)*
75. When Clouds Touch Us by Thanhhá Lai (6/28)
76. Just Like That by Gary D. Schmidt (6/30)*

July (11)
77. The Order of Things by Kaija Langley (7/2)*
78. The House of Marionne by J. Elle (7/7)*
79. The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar (7/8)
80. Spare by Prince Harry (7/16)
81. Boobies by Nancy Vo (7/16)*
82. Barely Floating by William Rivera (7/21)*
83. Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee (7/23)
84. The Good the Bad and the Barbie by Tanya Lee Stone (7/24)*
85. Peace is a Chain Reaction by Tanya Lee Stone (7/26)*
86. Be the Bus: the Lost & Found Wisdom of The Pigeon by Mo Willems (7/26)
87. The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett (7/29)*

August (13)
88. Bea Wolf by Zach Weinersmith (8/1)
89. Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World by Christian Cooper (8/2)*
90. Seven Clues to Home by Gae Polisher and Nora Raleigh Baskin (8/3)
91. We are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride (8/6)
92. Rosa Parks & Claudette Colvin by Tracey Baptiste (8/7)
93. Yellowface by R. F. Kuang (8/10)
94. Shakti by SJ Sindu (8/16)
95. Bruce and the Legend of Soggy Hollow (8/25)
96. American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer (8/25)
97. Buzzing by Samuel Sattin (8/27)
98. White House Club House by Sean O'Brien (8/28)
99. Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz (8/28)
100. Seen and Unseen by Elizabeth Partridge (8/30)

September (5)
101. The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama (9/6)
102. Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler (9/13)
103. Ode to My First Car by Robin Now (9/20)
104. Moonflower by Kacen Callender (9/24)
105. Fire & Fate by Serena Valentino (9/27)

October 10
107. Reign by Katherine McGee (10/11)
109. Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling (10/15)
110. Picture Day by Sarah Sax (10/17)
111. A Work in Progress by Jarrett Lerner (10/18)*
112. Odder by Katherine Applegate (10/20)
113. Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang (10/21)
114. The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro (10/26)
115. Good Different by Meg Eden Kuyatt (10/29) (SLJ)

November (8)
116. Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino (11/2)
117. The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate (11/5)
118. The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown (11/7)
119. DogTown by Katherine Applegate and Jennifer Choldenko (11/9)
121. Gather by Kenneth M. Cadow (11/15)*Th
122. The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dunakube (11/17)
123. Out of This World: Star-Studded Haiku by Sally M. Walker (11/22)

December (12)
124. The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill (12/1)*
125. Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? by Mac Barnett (12/4)*
126. How to Bird by Rasha Hamid (12/4)*
127. Everywhere Beauty is Harlem by Gary Golio (12/4)*
128. Santa Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins (12/7)
129. Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion by Shannon Stocker (12/7)
130. Rewind by Lisa Graff (12/7)
131. The Book of Turtles by Sy Montgomery (12/8)*
132. Standing in the Need of a Prayer: a Modern Retelling of a the Classic Spiritual by Carole Boston Weatherford (12/11)*
133. No Brainer by Jeff Kinney (12/12)
134. Fury of the Dragon Goddess by Sarwat Chadda (12/16)*
135. The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass (12/20)

















2023 Audio Books

 January (4)

1. As Good as Dead by Holly Jackson (1/1)
2. Cursed by Marissa Meyer (1/15)* 
3. Two Degrees by Alan Gratz (1/21)*
4.  Booked by Kwame Alexander (1/22)

February (3)
5. Soul of the Deep by Natasha Bowen (2/3)*
6. The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander (2/7)
7. This is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender (2/19)

March (4)
8. This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi (3/2)*
9. A Thousand Steps into Night by Traci Chee (3/13)
10. Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro (3/23)
11. The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden (3/30)

April (4)
12. Awe: the New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life by Dacher Keltner (4/6)
13. Loveless by Alice Oseman (4/12)
14. The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams (4/21)*
15. The Stolen Heir by Holly Black (4/30)*

May (4)
16. Bloom by Kenneth Oppel (5/9)
17. We are Totally Normal by Rahul Kanakia (5/15)
18. The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera (5/24)*
19. The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt (5/31)*

June (5)
20. The Storyteller by Brandon Hobson (6/5)
21. Home Away from Home by Cynthia Lord (6/9)*
22. Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow (6/13)*
23. Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Bouley (6/21)*
24. Just Like That by Gary D. Schmidt (6/30)*

July (5)
25. The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar (7/8)
26. Spare by Prince Harry (7/16)
27. Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee (7/22)
28. The Good the Bad and the Barbie by Tanya Lee Stone (7/24)*
29. Peace is a Chain Reaction by Tanya Lee Stone (7/26)*

August (4)
30. Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World by Christian Cooper (8/2)
31. We are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride (8/6)
32. Yellowface by R. F. Kuang (8/10)
33. American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer (8/25)

September (5)
34. The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama (9/6)
35. Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler (9/13)
36. Ode to My First Car by Robin Now (9/20)
37. Moonflower by Kacen Callender (9/24)
38. Fire & Fate by Serena Valentino (9/27)

October
39. Reign by Katherine McGee (10/11)
40. Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling (10/15)
41. Odder by Katherine Applegate (10/20)
42. The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro

November (6)
43. Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino (11/2)
44. The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate (11/5)
45. The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown (11/7)
46. DogTown by Katherine Applegate and Jennifer Choldenko (11/9)
47. The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri (11/12)*
48. The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dunakube (11/17)

December (3)
49. Rewind by Lisa Graff (12/7)
50. Fury of the Dragon Goddess by Sarwat Chadda (12/16)*
51. The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass (12/20)










Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Waiting on Wednesday: Amulet 9: Waverider by Kazu Kibuishi

Amulet #9: Waverider by Kazu Kibuishi. 256 p. Graphix/ Scholastic, Feb. 6, 2024. 9780545828659.

Happy Wednesday! Waiting on Wednesday features Amulet #9: Waverider by Kazu Kibuishi. This concluding volume in the popular Amulet series has been ten years in the making and will release on February 6, 2024. 

Here's the publisher synopsis: After her confrontation with Ikol, Emily finally understands the stone's power and what she must do to defend Alledia from the shadows. As she travels to Typhon to help her mom and Navin, Prince Trellis returns to the Kingdom of the Elves to save his countrymen — and confront the fraud who has seized power in the absence of a king. The threat of darkness follows all Stonekeepers closely, and it will take the strength of both new friends and old foes to conquer it... and survive.

TMS Library owns the first eight books in the graphic novel fantasy adventure series, so there's time to reread or get into the world. Happy reading!

Monday, December 11, 2023

Middle Grade Monday: Picture Day by Sarah Sax

Picture Day by Sarah Sax. Brinkley Yearbooks #1. 288 p. Knopf Books for Young Readers, June, 2023 9780593306888. Review of finished purchased copy.

Another late posting, sorry. Middle Grade Monday features Picture Day by Sarah Sax. Seventh grader, Viv is dreading picture day and having to wear a mom-approved outfit and hair style. She's also an aspiring influencer, and so, she chops off her hair, dyes it blue and makes a statement with her outfit. This gains her fans who also hope to be their true selves, but Viv gets a little carried away with Internet fame and her crazy ideas. This almost costs her her friendships with her long-term bffs.

The pleasing palatte, uncomplicated panels and diverse range of characters are sure to appeal to fans of Telegemeier, Miller, and Chmakova. Picture Day is a series starter and I'm looking forward to reading more from Sarah Sax.

Monday, December 4, 2023

Middle Grade Monday: The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown

The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown. 288 p. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Sept. 2023. 9780316669412. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Sorry for this late posting. Too much going on health-wise. It'll all settle out eventually. Middle Grade Monday features The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown. Roz is busy protecting her island home and its denizens and awaiting the return of her son, Brightbill, when news reaches the island of a new menace, the poison tide. When Roz not only learns that she is waterproof, but immune to the poison tide, she sets out north on a treacherous journey to the source of the poison.

The first two books in this trilogy are TMS favorites and this installment was much anticipated. So far, I've received mixed reviews from fans, some love it and some are a bit disappointed. I personally loved it. I adore Roz and her unconditional love for all things. Either way, if you've read the first two books, do yourself a favor and finish the trilogy. Happy reading!

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The Many Assassinations of Samir, Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri

The Many Assassinations of Samir, Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~4 hours. Read by the author. Listening Library/ Books on Tape, March, 2023. Review of e-audio borrowed from the public library. Own the finished hard cover.

Teen Tuesday features one of my favorite titles of the year, The Many Assassinations of Samir, Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri. I absolutely adored Mr. Nayeri's debut, Everything Sad is Untrue, which was published in 2020 and won the Printz Award.

His sophomore novel is narrated by Omar, a twelve-year-old monk in training, whom Samir and his caravan happen upon just as Omar is about to be stoned by his fellow monks. Samir talks the monk into releasing Omar to his custody in exchange for several bolts of silk. During their journey to Samarkand on the dangerous Silk Road, Omar, renamed by Samir as Monkey, comes to realize that Samir is basically a con man who has angered many people, some of whom vow to kill him.

This face-paced adventure is often laugh-out-loud funny, but also layered and gorgeously written. Mr. Nayeri is a top-notch narrator. I would listen to him read the phone book. That said, I did spend some time with the book. It is beautifully designed with terrific jacket art, and each chapter features an illustration. I've noticed that books published by LQ have heft, unlike the trend nowadays toward flimsy paper and bindings. 

Highly recommended! Happy reading! 

Monday, November 27, 2023

Middle Grade Monday: The Sun and the Star: a Nico Di Angelo Adventure by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro


Sorry for this late posting of Middle Grade Monday! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving break and didn't eat too much. This is going to be a busy week at my school with Student Led Conferences on Tuesday and Wednesday and our author visit on Thursday.My students are excited to meet Dusti Bowling? Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus was our One Book, One School read last month.

Middle Grade Monday features The Sun and the Star: a Nico Di Angelo Adventure by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro. It's hard to believe that this stand-alone novel is the 17th book that takes place in the PercyVerse. The Lightning Thief, Mr. Riordan's debut was published in 2005, and 2023 saw two new books published by the former seventh grade teacher. This and The Chalice of the Gods, which is about Percy Jackson and his attempt to be a normal high school student.

Moody and dark Nico Di Angelo has lost a lot in his life, from his mother and sister to his best friend, Jason, but he's crazy in love with Will Solace, his bright light, his Care Bear. Only he's plagued by dreams and a voice in his head begging him to travel to Tartarus to rescue someone. When he consults with Rachel Dare, he learns of a prophecy and is convinced he must travel there though his father has forbidden anyone who is alive from traveling to the Underworld, let alone Tartarus, the absolute pits. He's both gratified and upset that Will, the son of Apollo insists on joining him. How can the son of light possibly survive in the depths of the Underworld?

Fans of these series will not be disappointed!