It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers cohost It's Monday! What Are You Reading?  Be sure and stop by to participate or see what others are reading and recommending this week.

It has been such a long time since I have participated in IMWAYR!  But I am happy to share my reading life with you this week.  Hopefully with summer having arrived, I will be able to share more often.

Saving Wonder by Mary Knight

Living in southern Indiana, the coal mining industry is important to many of many students.  When I first read the blurb about this book in Scholastic, I thought it would be a book for many of my students to see connections.  As I read it, it took a turn toward many "big coal" issues that we are faced with today, and I was afraid how my students would react to this.  Many students know that coal is their livelihood and many of their families are currently facing difficult times because of the controversy.  But this book was about so much more than coal.  It was about the power words and how we can use words to accomplish great goals ~ a lesson we could probably all learn from.

Weekends with Max and His Dad by Linda Urban

Max's parents are divorced, and he spends his weekends with his dad.  Adjusting to this new life, he learns that he can have a home with both his mom and his dad.  Many of my students live a life just like Max, and I think this book will help them to understand they are not alone.  This is a perfect book for those 2nd and 3rd grade readers who are ready for chapter books.

Wish by Barbara O'Connor

(I received an ARC of this book from the publisher)

My all time favorite Barbara O'Connor book was How to Steal a Dog...until I read Wish. Charlie and Howard stole my heart. This book is about family, friendship, and hope. But most importantly it is about finding out that what you wish for isn't always what you really want. Wish will make a wonderful read aloud for all ages. 

Maxi's Secrets by Lynn Plourde

(I received an ARC of this book from the publisher)

I am not a dog person.  With that being said, I loved this book, and I loved Maxi!  We learn a secret, or what I prefer to call a lesson, from Maxi with each chapter.  This book is a true love story - between a boy and his dog.  (Chapter 49 is the shortest chapter, but the most powerful lesson of all!)