#IMWAYR June 26, 2017

It's the first Monday of summer! Each week I join Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers to share all of the reading I've done over the week from picture books to young adult novels. I will continue to do this over the summer to share my summer reading.

Here's what I read this week:

Middle Grade

When Claire Martinson follows her older sister Sophie up a ladder in the fireplace of her aunt's house she has no idea that she will be entering another world. After being chased by a shadow creature, Claire makes Sophie promise to never go up the ladder again. When Sophie breaks that promise it is up to Claire to save her. I loved this new middle grade fantasy, which will hit the shelves in February 2018. I was lucky to get my hands on a copy at Book Expo America and can't wait to share it with my students in the fall.

If a tree could talk, what stories would it tell? In this new book by Katherine Applegate, we get a chance to find out. This particular tree is a wishtree and the wish it will grant is one of friendship and hope. This book is exactly what we need to share with children in this challenging time. It releases in September.

Young Adult

I enjoyed reading this latest addition to the Queen's Thief series. I would have liked it even better if more of the original characters had made an appearance, but it was nice to revisit the ones that did.

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Stacy Barnett Mozer is a teacher and a middle grade author. If you like what she's been reading follow her on Goodreads. Please leave a comment below. It's Monday, what are you reading?

#BookTalkTuesday June 20, 2017

This year I wanted to find new ways for my third grade students recommend books so we decided to post their recommendations on #BookTalkTuesday. Next year we'd love to see more classes join in.

Yesterday I asked my students to tell me their first book of the summer (which starts at 1:15 today). Here are some of the books they will be reading first:

The Great Treehouse War by Lisa Graff
Jake and Lily by Jerry Spininelli
Hilo by Judd Winick
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier
The Ship of Secrets by Geronimo Stilton

Here's what my students recommended this week:

E. recommends Dog Man. - There is a Villain Petey and he hates Dog Man because he always catches Petey when he's doing something wrong so Petey goes to cat jail. And there is a mayor who is secretly evil and wants to make Dog Man bad. But she got a better idea and sends Petey a present in jail to help him create a Weenie Army. You should read this book because it is really funny and the author is the same author for Captain Underpants. George and Harold from Captain Underpants are also in the book.

A. recommends Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties - In this book, Petey wanted to create a clone that would help him, but it turned out that the clone was "Li'l Petey" who thought Petey was his father. So Petey made a robot named 80-HD for his clone to go in. Then Li'l Petey disappeared, and decided to go with dog man, while Petey was more annoyed. This book has so much comedy, action, and I love how it tells you the next book coming, titled "Dog Man and Cat Kid." It also tells you how to draw the characters. I enjoyed this wonderful book! You should read it!

S. recommends Meanwhile - It's not a normal book because you can chose between two options like for example in the beginning you chose between to eat vanilla or chocolate ice cream. If you chose vanilla you end the book directly but if you chose chocolate you go to a professors laboratory because the ice cream made you sick. It's really cool although it's kinda confusing at the beginning you will understand if you read the instructions and it's a really good story YOU SHULD READ IT!!!!!!!!!!!

C. recommends All Heart. - Carli Loyd wanted to be on the national women's soccer team. But she didn't make the team. So her dad met this soccer trainer to help her. Then the next year she tried out again. With the help of her trainer James she made the team. I learned from Carli that if you preserve lots of great things will happen. I recommend this book because Carli teaches lots of great lessons. She's also my favorite player.

J. recommends No Talking - Dave wanted to prove that girls talk more than boys by making a challenge who can talk less. But the teachers start finding out what they are doing they get mad. I recommend this book because it is funny when the principal and teachers get mad at the boys and girls for NOT talking.

That's all for this week. I'm hoping that my soon to be former students will continue to send me their recommendations over the summer. Please comment on our reading choices or share your recommendations below. They love hearing from you!

#IMWAYR June 19, 2017

In one day my school year will be over and my new adventure as a grades 2-5 advanced learning teacher will begin. Each week I join Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers to share all of the reading I've done over the week from picture books to young adult novels. I will continue to do this over the summer to share my summer reading.

Here's what I read this week:

Middle Grade

Imagine having divorced parents who think the only solution to the uneven amount of days in a seven day week is to have you live in a tree house by yourself on Wednesdays. Winnie's parents are so concerned about being even that they don't care that she may fail the fifth grade. She decides it's time to take matters into her own hands and stay in her treehouse until her parents can come and talk together. When the rest of her fifth grade class joins her for reasons of their own, the Great Treehouse War begins. This book is about family relationships, fairness, and friendship. I think readers will appreciate the relationships between these ten kids and will want to join them in this amazing treehouse.

Jake and Lily are twins. They are so connected that every year on their birthday they wake up alone in a train station together after having the same sleepwalking dream. If Jake is hurt, Lily feels it. If Lily is scared, Jake knows it. That is until Jake decides to join a group of local boys who don't like girls. This book is about family relationship, friendship, bullying, and self-discovery. Anyone who has ever grown apart from a sibling or a friend, or who has been forced to make a choice between being cool or doing what's right will be interested in this story about growing up. 

Come back to the blog tomorrow to see a final post for this school year on what my third graders have been reading on #BookTalkTuesday!

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Stacy Barnett Mozer is a third grade teacher and a middle grade author. The Sweet Spot and The Perfect Trip are available now from Spellbound River Press. If you like what she's been reading follow her on Goodreads. Please leave a comment below. It's Monday, what are you reading?

#IMWAYR June 12, 2017

It's June! I can't believe that the school year is almost over. Each week I join Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers to share all of the reading I've done over the week from picture books to young adult novels. I will continue to do this over the summer to share my summer reading as I move positions from 3rd grade teacher to 2nd - 5th grade advance learning english language arts and science teacher.

Here's what I read this week:

Middle Grade

I really enjoyed the first in this fantasy series by Linda Sue Park. Raffa has a gift for being an apothecary but when he discovers a new plant in the woods that changes the behavior of animals he learns that some actions have unforeseen consequences and that not everyone will use a new discovery for good.

A Long Walk to Water is based on the true story of eleven year old Salva who becomes a Lost Boy of Sudan after his school is attacked by armed rebels. It is a beautiful story that needs to be read with tissues on hand. I don't see how anyone can read it without needing to find a way to give money to help the real Salva bring water to Sudan - a project I plan to do with my 5th graders after we read the book next year. A Long Walk to Water is also a Global Read Aloud book for 2017.

Young Adult

I picked up an advanced reader copy of Reign the Earth at Book Expo. This new series by A. C. Gaughen has all of the deceit, romance, and intrigue of her Scarlet series. I can't wait for the next one.

Come back to the blog tomorrow to see what my third graders have been reading on #BookTalkTuesday!

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Stacy Barnett Mozer is a third grade teacher and a middle grade author. The Sweet Spot and The Perfect Trip are available now from Spellbound River Press. If you like what she's been reading follow her on Goodreads. Please leave a comment below. It's Monday, what are you reading?

#IMWAYR June 5, 2017

It's June! I can't believe that the school year is almost over. Each week I join Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers to share all of the reading I've done over the week from picture books to young adult novels. I will continue to do this over the summer to share my summer reading.

Here's what I read this week:

Picture Book

After the Fall is the story of Humpty Dumpty's journey to get back up after the big disaster. I adore Dan Santat's writing and illustrations. My students are going to love this one. Can't wait to share it with them today!

Middle Grade

When Theodora Tenpenny's grandfather dies he tell her to "look under the egg." Theo hopes he means that he has left her some way for her Theo and her mother to pay to continue living in their New York City Brownstone. Instead Theo uncovers a mystery that dates back to the Monument Men of Word War II.

This magical story follows Twig, a lonely girl who is keeping a family secret that keeps her separated from everyone in her town. When new neighbors move in who are connected to the curse that plagues Twig's family, she realizes she may have a way to break the curse and finally make some friends.

I was so excited to find out that the stories of Fablehaven have continued in a new series. Once again Kendra and Seth must save the world from magical foes. Fablehaven and this new dragon series are perfect for fantasy lovers of all ages. I can't wait until the next one!

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Stacy Barnett Mozer is a third grade teacher and a middle grade author. The Sweet Spot and The Perfect Trip are available now from Spellbound River Press. If you like what she's been reading follow her on Goodreads. Please leave a comment below. It's Monday, what are you reading?