It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 1/18/2021
What I Read
I’m finished We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly and I must say, it might be one of my favorites by Erin! Told from the perspective of three siblings, it’s an intriguing story of the days leading up to the Challenger shuttle launch. I found this story fascinating looking at the family dynamic because it was so different from mine growing up. We were a family that ate dinner together and we genuinely enjoyed spending time together (usually). I think Erin did a fabulous job of writing the story from three different perspectives and keeping the story moving forward while interweaving the major points through all three characters’ stories.
The List of Things That Will Not Change
I then picked up The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead. Rebecca’s books are hit and miss with me and I’m not sure why. So, I was a little hesitant to start this book. I was taken by surprise because I really enjoyed it! Bea’s growth throughout the story was so intentional throughout the story and so well-written. Bea’s mom and dad got divorced a few years ago and now her dad is remarrying a man. Rebecca creates a situation that can often be sensationalized in a very realistic manner. Not everyone is okay with Bea’s father being gay. But most of the people close to Bea support and love her father and her as well.
An added note, I also really liked the relationship Bea had with her therapist. Normalizing something that so many people feel should be kept hidden away. I love this story of family and what that looks like is different for everyone.
Wrong Way Summer
Finally, I read Wrong Way Summer by Heidi Lang. I sometimes have to remind myself that I’m reading a book that is written for people that are much younger than I am. The dad in this story made me so angry. But, Heidi did an amazing job of slowly peeling away the layers of a complicated person. And in the end, I better understood where he was coming from and why he made the decisions he did. I think it worked really well because the main character is very upset by her father for much of the trip and I could really feel that frustration through the page.
Simon B. Rhymin’
I’m about a third of the way through Simon B. Rhymin’ by Dwayne Reed and am already excited to see what happens to Simon. With a presentation looming, Simon’s got to find his voice and I can totally see the teacher helping a little bit.
All three of these books are part of my Winter Reading Challenge which I posted about two weeks ago. This challenge is so nice because it’s longer than a month and not so long (year-long challenge) where I lose interest!
What I’m Planning to Read
I’m going to finish up Simon B. Rhymin’ hopefully in the next day or so. I’m also going to try and read Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly and Coo by Kaela Noel. And who knows, if I’ve got a little more time, I might try and start The Girl Who Stole an Elephant by Nizrana Farook which I received from the publisher as an ARC.
What are you reading this month?
Join Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers and share all of the reading you have done over the week from picture books to young adult novels. Check out the hashtag #IMWAYR for reading suggestions from readers across the globe.
