It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

These are memes started by Teach Mentor Texts and Book Journey, and I'm excited to participate, along with many other bloggers, in reviewing books I read the previous week. I'll be reviewing picture books through adult books.

EARLY MIDDLE GRADE BOOK

The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes

	2013-book, award-winner, character-development, character-who-writes, early-middle-grade, read, teachers-who-inspire

	This is a sweet story about Billy, a second grader with a big heart and honest feelings. My favorite chapter was the one about his love/hate relationship with his sister. I think younger middle grade readers will like it. I love Kevin Henkes because he find beauty and humor in simple things.

MIDDLE GRADE BOOK

A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

2014-book, bebrave, character-who-writes, characters-with-disabilities, family, fantasy-science-fiction, fears, figuative-language, friendship, gifted-character, home, loss, love, mock-newbery-2015, mock-schneider-family-award-2015, model-for-writing, mood-tone, vocabulary I wrote about this book and my Mock Newbery Club's Skype visit with her on my Celebration Saturday post, but I'm not done talking about her or her fabulous book yet! You can see Natalie (just barely) on the screen with us. Brady (2nd front left) is holding the Jeni's Ice Cream we ate during the Skype visit. We sent some to Natalie as a thank you, too! Spindiddly! I just finished what is destined to become a children's literature classic. I knew I was in for a treat when one of my sixth graders, who read it for my Mock Newbery Club and is a voracious reader, said, "This is the best book I ever read. It has everything I like." Wow. I know what she means now. It's funny, poignant, compelling, magical, and real. I have so many post-it flags marking favorite parts that I couldn't possibly write them all, but I'll include some: - A sister is like a...more Spindiddly! I just finished what is destined to become a children's literature classic. I knew I was in for a treat when one of my sixth graders, who read it for my Mock Newbery Club and is a voracious reader, said, "This is the best book I ever read. It has everything I like." Wow. I know what she means now. It's funny, poignant, compelling, magical, and real. I have so many post-it flags marking favorite parts that I couldn't possibly write them all, but I'll include some: - A sister is like a super-forever-infinity friend. - But there is was. I'm fairly certain LONELY'S most natural habitat is a school cafeteria. - I can very often tell how much a person loves another person by the way they say their name. I think that's one of the best feelings in the world, when you know your name is safe in another person's mouth. When you know they'll never shout it out like a cuss word, but say it or whisper it like a once-upon-a-time. - Some miracles are big and flashy, and others are sweet and simple. - Home isn't just a house or a city or a place; home is what happens when you're brave enough to love people. Lloyd's writing reminds me a little of Ingrid Law, Kate DiCamillo, Sharon Creech, and Deborah Wiles, and that's factofabulous!    The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black                                    2013-book, fantasy-science-fiction, young-adult-book   I'm a big fan of Holly Black. My kids read her Spiderwick Chronicles when they were young, and we met her and Tony DiTerlizzi when they visited The Blue Manatee years ago. I LOVED Doll Bones, a 2014 Newbery Honor Award winner. This one, however....yikes!!! This is no Twilight romance - it's a dark and violent vampire story. Black's writing is captivating and creepy. Not for the faint of heart or younger teens! Great ending. Here are pictures when we met Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi in 2004