It's Monday! What are you reading? February 26, 2018

A great meme hosted by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers! A place for people to talk about books they have recently read and are currently reading. Also a great place to find books to add to your "must read list"!

Here is what I have recently read (click on the title to learn more about the book):

Granted

By John David Anderson

I finished this one over vacation and really enjoyed it! I loved the idea of it, of there being fairies who are in charge of granting a small collection of human wishes. I also enjoyed the tenacity and bravery of Ophelia Fidgets as she headed out on her first wish granting mission that didn't exactly go as planned. Instead of giving up and heading back home, even when all odds seem to be against her, Ophelia keeps going and is determined to find, and grant, her first wish. Along the way she befriends a very friendly stray dog whom she names Sam. The two of them stick together and work to find Ophelia's wish so that her first mission is a successful one. When Ophelia finally tracks down her wish, she comes across a second wish and has to decide if any one wish can be more important than another.

The Black Elfstone

By Terry Brooks

Yup, still a sucker for adult fantasy stories and still enjoy Terry Brooks! I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of this one and was bummed when it was over. Thankfully I only have to wait a few months until book #2 comes out!

Long Way Down

By Jason Reynolds

After the audiobook of Long Way Down received an Odyssey Honor (among many other awards) at the ALA awards in early February, I knew that I was going to be listening to this one before I read the physical book. When I found out that Jason Reynolds was the one narrating the story, I immediately purchased it through Audible! This one definitely didn't disappoint! An amazing YA story told by an amazing author and narrator. Download the audiobook today!

Spinning

By Tillie Walden

Another YA title, this one a very big graphic novel. I enjoyed this coming of age story about Tillie. Tillie spends the book trying to figure out who she is and what she really wants in life. The reader gets to watch her grow and slowly become more and more comfortable with herself. We get to watch her make some tough decisions as she finally starts to take control of her life.

The Science of Breakable Things

By Tae Keller

Stay tuned for a full review of this great story later this week!

Here is what I am currently reading (click on the title to learn more about the book):

The Cruel Prince

By Holly Black

Just started listening to the audiobook version of this one. So far so good!

A Whole New Ballgame

By Phil Bildner

This one is currently my independent reading time book in the classroom. I have been meaning to read it for quite some time now and was finally prompted to start it so that I could read it alongside one of my students. This particular student has a much better chance of sticking with a book if he has someone to talk with about the book as he is reading it! I am really enjoying it so far, as I was pretty sure I would!

Review of The Art of the Swap By Kristine Asselin & Jen Malone

The Art of the Swap

By Kristine Asselin & Jen Malone

Published by Aladdin

February 13, 2018

Digital ARC Obtained through NetGalley

Goodreads Summary:

Two girls trade places in time to solve a legendary art heist across two centuries! 

As the daughter of a caretaker for a mansion-turned-museum, twelve-year-old Hannah Jordan has spent nearly all her life steeped in the history of the Gilded Age of Newport, Rhode Island. The Elms, the mansion where her dad works (and they both live), is one of the most esteemed historical properties on famed Bellevue Avenue. Mysterious legends and priceless artifacts clutter every inch of the marble floors and golden walls, but Hannah is most drawn to the reproduction portrait of Maggie Dunlap, the twelve year-old subject of a famous painting stolen in a legendary art heist on the day of its scheduled unveiling in 1905. 

Hannah dreams of how glamorous life must have been for the young oil-heiress, Maggie, at the turn of the century, but she never expects she’ll have a chance to experience it herself… until the day a mysterious mirror allows the two girls to change places in time! 

In 1905, Hannah races to stop the art heist from happening—something she is convinced will allow the girls to trade back to their own eras—while in current times, Maggie gets a hilarious introduction to the modern digital age and a new perspective on women's roles in society while reveling in the best invention of all: sweatpants. So long corsets! 

As the hours tick off to the recorded moment of the legendary art heist, something’s not adding up. Can the girls work together against time—and across it—to set things right... or will their temporary swap become a permanent trade?

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this time traveling story! I liked that the story switched back and forth between this century and the last century. It was very interesting to see how different the two centuries have become and how a 21st century kid might fare in the 20th century and vice versa. Maggie and Hannah are both in for some shocks as they try to navigate the others world without permanently messing anything up for each other. As Hannah tries to solve a century old mystery in the 20th century, she realizes that her actions could change history and therefore change the life she knows back in her own century.

I would recommend this book for grades 4 and up!

It's Monday! What are you reading? February 12, 2018

A great meme hosted by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers! A place for people to talk about books they have recently read and are currently reading. Also a great place to find books to add to your "must read" list!

Here is what I have recently read (click on the title to learn more about the book):

You Go First

By Erin Entrada Kelly

After a few weeks of having this book as my independent reading time book in the classroom, I finally found enough time to finish it! I really enjoyed this book and think that there is something for almost every kid to connect with in this story. The two main characters deal with a number of difficult situations throughout the book. From parents getting divorced, to family illness, to a changing friendship, to getting picked on at school, this story has something for everyone!

The Art of the Swap

By Kristine Asselin & Jen Malone

Stay tuned for a full review of this great book later in the week!

 Aru Shah and the End of Time

By Roshani Chokshi

I really enjoyed following Aru on her adventures trying to save the world. I am also a big fan of mythology and really enjoyed learning about Hindu mythology! Fans of Greek and Roman mythology will be quickly sucked into this book!

Here is what I am currently reading (click on the title to learn more about the book):

The Black Elfstone (The Fall of Shannara #1)

By Terry Brooks

I have always been a huge fantasy fan and used to read quite a bit of adult fantasy back in the day. Then of course I became a teacher and was introduced to the wonderful world of children's literature! I mostly just read children's lit and middle grade fiction now, but every once in a while I will go back to my roots and read an adult fantasy book. I decided to read The Black Elfstone because I had read all the previous Shannara series books that Terry Brooks had written years and years ago and I remember really enjoying them. I am currently listening to this one on audible and I am really enjoying the story, as well as the narrator!

Granted

By John David Anderson

I am a fan of John David Anderson so I was excited to get my hands on a copy of this ARC at NCTE back in November. This one is rather thick and I didn't really have time for it up until now. I just started it and am looking forward to getting further into it!