#IMWAYR June 27, 2022

It's my first day of summer vacation, so what better way to celebrate then talking about books? I had a grand plan in September to blog throughout the year, but once again COVID and the world's attitude towards teachers and schools got in the way, so TGIS!

It's Monday What Are You Reading is hosted each week by Unleashing Readers and Teach Mentor Texts. If you are a person who loves kidlit, all you need to do to join is to blog about books you are reading on Monday, add your link to either of those two blogs, and post using the hashtag. I hope you will join in!

Now on to what I've been reading!

Middle Grade

I loved this new fantasy by A.F. Steadman. Skandar lives in a world where unicorns aren't the pretty, white, rainbow filled creatures of peace we are used to seeing in other fantasies. In Skandar's world, unicorn's are vicious creatures who can cause chaos if not tamed by a Unicorn Rider -- and everyone hopes that they will be one of those riders. So when Skandar shows up for his Unicorn Hatchery test and is told to go home before he even goes inside, he thinks all hope is lost. When a mysterious figure shows up at his door offering another chance, he takes the risk, no matter what the cost. Lovers of middle grade fantasies such as Eragon and Keeper of the Lost Cities will love this book. I can't wait for the next one.

Imagine that you can open any lock with just a thought. Melanie Gate has had this power as long as she can remember, and it sets her apart from the other boys and girls in the orphanage where she has grown up. When a Traveler (a gearling automatron) shows up at the orphanage looking for help, it makes sense for Melanie to be the one to join him. But the Traveler is not what he seems, and it turns out, neither is Melanie. An exciting adventure with magic, adventure, and a mysterious cat. Fans of The Girl Who Drank the Moon will enjoy this one.

Young Adult

The last unit of my school year was fractured fairytales, so I was excited to find this series of fractured Disney movies. These are not Disney stories for kids. A Whole New World asks the question, "What if Aladdin had never found the lamp?" or put a different way, "What if Abu never stole the lamp out of Jafar's hands when he locked him in the cave of wonders?" The answer, according to Liz Braswell, is that you would have a kingdom in turmoil and a princess who would need to step out of her comfy existence to become a rebel leader. Young adults and adults who watched Disney's Aladdin as a kid will enjoy this version.

Here are some of the other books in the series. So far I have read Once Upon A Dream, Part of Your World, and Mirror Mirror. All are done a bit differently and are a bit dark, but a lot of fun.

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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.