It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #imwayr [3.28.22] – Books. Iced Lattes. Blessed.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? originated as a meme that started by Shelia at Book Journeys, then it passed onto Kathryn at The Book Date. Then the Unleashing Readers, Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee decided to give it a twist by having a #kidlit focus. So this is a time to share what you have been, currently are, and will be reading soon!

If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, early readers, chapter books, middle grade, young adult, or anything in those genres – then join us! This is also a great opportunity to see what others are reading and you might find your next “must-read” too!

If you join in the fun and you Tweet, tag your tweet with #imwayr!

I’m back! I needed a month long break due to personal reasons and such. I’m going to do my best to stay up-to-date on here through the rest of the school year. I had A LOT going on this month including my final parent teacher conferences as a teacher (EEK!). So my “last week” section will really be “this last month”. LOL.

I haven’t been reading as many books as usual, but I have read a bit each and every day. Hopefully you all are doing well and I can’t wait to see what everyone is reading and loving! Take care. I’ll do my monthly wrap up next week.

• Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins
  • I really enjoyed this very Lord of the Flies-esque story! Dual timelines, unique characters and personalities, and an eerie, yet beautiful deserted island setting. The only thing I didn’t love was that I predicted the ending, which I never do! However, this book is the PERFECT summer thriller escape.
• Behind the Lie by Emilya Naymark
  • This book’s audio narration did not do it justice. I really struggled to get into the book. Soon I found out it was the second book in a series (I received an ALC from Libro.fm), I was also turned off as there was some backstory I knew I was missing.
• My Dearest Darkest by Kayla Cottingham
  • Whew. This sapphic gothic YA gave me all the Riverdale vibes, especially the Gargoyle King and prep school vibes that Jughead went to. It took me awhile to finish this one because of the timing of life with conferences and such but I looked forward to picking it up each time I got the chance. I truly loved the plot, setting, and characters. This book releases tomorrow!
• Pauli Murray: The Life of a Pioneering Feminist & Civil Rights Activist by Rosita Stevens-Holsey & Terry Catasús Jennings
  • This was my first time reading a biography written in verse. It was so well done and so enlightening. I had never heard of Pauli Murray before so it would be a great addition to any upper middle grade collections. There are real photographs and references mentioned throughout. #BookAllies
• Etta Invincible by Reese Eschmann
  • This is a fantastic book to recommend to readers who love magical worlds, mysteries, dynamic characters, and stories of friendship. The cover is absolutely breathtaking and will pull readers in right away. Eschmann is a debut author and has created a wonderful middle grade book with a blend of prose and comic scenes throughout! #BookAllies
• Magic Tree House The Graphic Novel: Dinosaurs Before Dark adapted by Jenny Laird and illustrated by Kelly & Nichole Matthews
  • Oh how this book brought me back to my young years of reading the Magic Tree House! This was a great escape and I loved how it was adapted into a graphic novel that is well suited for younger middle graders too. There are vibrant colors, the illustrations are drawn beautifully, and there’s not an overwhelming amount of speech bubbles and panels throughout. Well done! I can’t wait to read the others!
• The Hayley Mysteries: The Haunted Studio by Hayley LeBlanc
  • This is a new younger middle grade mystery series written by a 13-year-old Youtuber, Hayley LeBlanc. I didn’t realize who the author was until I was about a few chapters in. I think this will be a great hit for kids who enjoy watching her on Youtube, but also those who don’t know her and love a good mystery/spooky story, like Eerie Elementary.
• World of Reading: Ballet Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins
  • It was my first time reading a Bruce book that is not a picture book! This was a comical read, as expected. Bruce, as grumpy as ever, is tasked with helping the geese prepare for ballet. The geese really want to do ballet and aspire to be just like the poster they found! First they notice they need ballet shoes, well they don’t have any. So they send Bruce out to get them! Well, when Bruce gets back not only do they want ballet shoes but they want ballet pants! It is never-ending for Bruce and the ending makes you chuckle. This is a great read for children starting to read on their own.

Shop the books above and support me and local Indies:

Have you ever read any of these books? Share with me what you are reading below!

Xo, Sierra