Growing Bookworms Newsletter: November 30: #PictureBooks, #MiddleGrade, #Math + #Literacy
November 30, 2016
Today, I will be sending out a new issue of the Growing Bookworms email newsletter. (If you would like to subscribe, you can find a sign-up form here.) The Growing Bookworms newsletter has refocused recently, and now contains content from my blog focused on growing joyful learners, including bookworms, mathematicians, and learners of all types. The newsletter is sent out every two to three weeks.
Newsletter Update: In this issue I have five book reviews (picture book and middle grade), one post with my daughter's latest literacy milestone (using cliches), and one post about including a bit of subtraction practice during reading time. I also have two posts with links that I shared recently on Twitter and one post about my recent efforts to cultivate an "attitude of gratitude."
Reading Update: In the past two weeks I read four chapter book/middle grade, one young adult, and two adult novels. I read/listened to:
- Shannon Hale and Dean Hale (ill. LeUyen Pham): The Princess in Black Takes A Vacation. Candlewick. Illustrated Early Chapter Book. Completed November 17, 2016. This series is fabulous. Every new reader should have them.
- Gabrielle Kent: The Secrets of Hexbridge Castle. Scholastic. Middle Grade Fantasy. Completed November 19, 2016. Review to come.
- Dana Alison Levy: The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island. Delacorte Press. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed November 20, 2016. Review to come.
- Liam O'Donnell (ill. Aurelie Grand): West Meadows Detectives: The Case of the Snack Snatcher. Owlkids Book. Illustrated Chapter Book. Completed November 23, 2016 (read-aloud to my daughter). Previously reviewed here.
- Rachel Caine: Paper and Fire (The Great Library, Book 2). NAL. Young Adult Fantasy. Completed November 27, 2016, on MP3. A fun series -I look forward to the next book.
- Lee Child: Night School (Jack Reacher). Delacorte Press. Adult Thriller. Completed November 23, 2016, on MP3. I think I am finally wearing out on this series, due to extreme violence not even central to the story.
- Noah Hawley: Before the Fall. Grand Central Publishing. Adult Fiction. Completed November 25, 2016. I really enjoyed this adult novel, a combination of character analysis and mystery.
I'm reading What’s Happened To The University?: A sociological exploration of its infantilisation by Frank Furedi on my Kindle and listening to Stalking Ground by Margaret Mizushima.
The books my husband and I have been reading to our daughter in 2016 can be found here. I am currently reading my daughter the second West Meadows Detectives book by Liam O'Donnell: The Case of Maker Mischief. Yes, these are illustrated chapter books that she could probably read on her own, but reading the books together has led to some interesting discussions about the autistic main character and his classmates (who also have learning differences). Of course she also loves that the books feature a boy close to her age who is a DETECTIVE. Exciting stuff!
For picture books, we've been dipping into our stack of Christmas-themed books since Thanksgiving. She especially liked Santa Claus and the Three Bears by Maria Modungo, Jane Dyer, and Brooke Dyer. And she was thrilled that I ordered The Princess in Black Takes A Vacation by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale. I tried to save that one for Christmas, but I just couldn't do it.
I'm continuing to share all of my longer reads, as well as highlights from my picture book reads with my daughter, via the #BookADay hashtag on Twitter. Thanks for reading the newsletter, and for growing bookworms. Wishing those of you in the US a Happy Thanksgiving.
© 2016 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook.