It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (12.1.14)

Every Monday bloggers all over the web participate in an effort to share books we have read and what we are excited about digging into. Thanks to Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee & Ricki at Unleashing Readers for hosting us all!

What I Read this Week:

Ranger in Time #1: Rescue on the Oregon Trail, by Kate Messner, illustrated by Kelley McMorris
(Scholastic Press, January 6, 2015)
     Sam Abbott and his family are traveling west on the Oregon Trail when they are joined by Ranger, a time-traveling dog who has strayed from his owner, Luke, left in the present. Ranger's adventures in the past include traveling the Oregon Trail, complete with illness, stampedes, and challenging terrain. 

Ethan's Ranger in Time Fan Art

     No one will be able to resist the relationship formed between Sam and his family and Ranger, and readers will feel connected to Ranger themselves as though they are traveling, too. The factual information about westward travel is woven well into the text, making history digestible for developing readers. I read this book aloud with my 6-year old nephew over the Thanksgiving holiday. He loved Ranger and can hardly wait for more!

The Yeti Files, by Kevin Sherry
(Scholastic Press, September 30, 2014)
     This first book in Kevin Sherry's new series introduces cryptids and their enemy, the cryptozoologist who is on a mission to debunk the creatures as mythical. 
     Sherry's artwork and book design will appeal to transitional readers who are looking for a book of length but not prepared for pages of text. The book is highly scaffolded with drawings, including diagrams and maps. My students are grappling to be the next to read this book. 

Sam & Dave Dig a Hole, by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen
(Candlewick, October 14, 2014)
     Sam & Dave set out to dig a hole and find something splendid, but with each move they make, they narrowly miss the treasure they are after.
     Ever a fan of the Barnett/Klassen team and their individual works, this book was a treat for myself at NCTE '14. The artwork is beautiful and telling. With each page and a new "near miss" of the treasure, students are sure to be giggling and slapping their foreheads. 




What I am Currently Reading:

The Friendship Riddle , by Megan Frazer Blakemore

(Bloomsbury USA Childrens, May 5, 2015, ARC)

What I am Reading Next:
Mark of the Thief, by Jennifer Nielsen
All the Bright Places, by Jennifer Niven
How to Outswim a Shark Without a Snorkel, by Jess Keating