#IMWAYR #Readukkah December 16, 2019

 

Each week I try to join Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee from Unleashing Readers to share all of the reading I've done over the week from picture books to young adult novels. 

In addition to it being #IMWAYR, this week is also #Redukkah. #Reddukkah lasts from December 15 - December 22, was created by The Association of Jewish Libraries, The Book of Life/Jewish Kidlit Mavens, and The Jewish Council to promote awareness of any book of Jewish interest. To find about more join the Facebook Event.

Finally, it's my final week reviewing books as a first round Cybil judge for the middle grade fiction.

Here's what I read this week:

Middle Grade

When Shirli Berman gets the role of Goldie in the school production of the musical Fiddler on the Roof opposite her crush Ben, she decides to search through her Zayde's attack to see if he has any old clothes that would add authenticity to the play. When she comes across a poster of a klezmer band and a violin, she opens up a window into her Zayde's past that allows him to finally tell the story of his experience in the Holocaust. Set in 2002 with a backdrop of 911, Broken Strings is a story about family, forgiveness, acceptance, and moving forward.

Middle Grade Reposts for #Readukkah

It has been a year since Leah's life was forever changed. A year of feeling like a ghost with ghost parents with the door to her brother's room permanently closed. But when Leah meets Jasper, a new girl in town who never knew Leah's brother, Leah is able to find her way back to herself and to tell her story. But Leah isn't the only one with a story to tell. Jasper is experiencing problems too and has asked Leah to keep her secret. But some secrets are too big to keep and Leah has to decide whether to risk losing her one true friend in order to keep Jasper safe. This is a wonderful story about friendship and moving forward after loss.

Upper Middle Grade/YA Repost for #Readukkah

It is not often I find out something I didn't know about the Holocaust. I am normally a very quick reader, but The Librarian of Auchwitz is not a book to read quickly. The author goes backwards and forwards through time and makes references to the books the librarian is reading inorder to set the scene for the events in Block 31 in Auschwitz and the main character, Dita's role in saving the books and creating living books to enrich the lives of the children imprisoned in the family camp. It is an amazing read, especially when you realize that all the people and situations were based on true events. 

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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. 

#IMWAYR December 9, 2019

Each week I try to join Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee from Unleashing Readers to share all of the reading I've done over the week from picture books to young adult novels. 

I am currently a first round Cybil judge for the middle grade fiction, and I’m almost out of time. Fortunately there are so many great books it's time well spent!

Here's what I read this week:

Middle Grade

As I said last week, it's  refreshing to see middle grade taking on big issues. 

Roll With It is about a girl with CP, a grandfather with Alzheimer's disease, and finding independence even when you are dependent. Plus, there's lots of baking!

Summer of a Thousand Pies is also about baking, so I was very hungry reading these books back to back. It's about a girl with an alcoholic father who is sent to jail for negligence and how she finally finds a secure home and family with her aunt and her partner.

Genesis Begins Again is about a girl who feels her dark black skin makes her ugly and worthless. She wants so much to have lighter skin that she will do anything to change her color. She learns to recognize her strengths and to stop seeing skin as a weakness.

Lety Out Loud is about a girl who volunteers at an Animal Shelter camp. But it's really about the challenge of coming to a new country and not speaking the language.  I love that the book was published in two languages which is why even though I can't read the Spanish version, I posted the cover.

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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. 

#IMWAYR December 2, 2019

Each week I try to join Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee from Unleashing Readers to share all of the reading I've done over the week from picture books to young adult novels. 

I am currently a first round Cybil judge for the middle grade fiction, and I’m almost out of time. Fortunately Thanksgiving break gave me lots of reading time.

Here's what I read this week:

Middle Grade

So many amazing middle grade books were published in 2019! It’s so refreshing to see middle grade taking on big issues. The books above address familiar topics such as friendship, family, first love, and loss. They also take on immigration, gender identity, mental health, LGBTQ, and racism. You’ll find out my favorites when the Cybil finalists are announced in January. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the ones I read this week (pictured above).

Young Adult

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I have been anxiously waiting this (hopefully not final) book in the Scythe series. Fans will not be disappointed in the ending. If you have not found this series yet and love reading dystopian futures, definitely check it out.

Call Down the Hawk is Stephen King’s The Stand for young adults. In this world there are dreamers, people who can make dreams a literal reality and the dreamed, people and animals who the dreamers have brought to life. But those who can foresee the future see the end of the world coming from a dreamer so the hunters have been brought in to kill the dreamers before that can happen and once a dreamer dies, those dreamed fall into an endless sleep. The story is complex and told in multiple voices. I can’t wait until the next one.

This powerful story by Neal Shusterman brings to life his own son’s experience with mental illness in a way that will have you rooting for him both in the real world and in the world he has created in his mind.

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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.