It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 4/30/18

Beagles and Books is back with It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR is a community of bloggers who link up to share what they are reading. Kellee Moye of Unleashing Readers and Jen Vincent of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give it a #kidlit focus and encourage everyone who participates to visit at least 3 of the other #kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

Our Reads This Week:

Grump: The (Fairly True Story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves by Liesl Shurtliff

In Shurtliff’s lastest fractured fairy tale, readers meet Borlen, a dwarf who was born just feet from the surface of the earth.  As a result, he is afraid of being deep in the cavern where dwarfs live and work.  Borlen also has a fascination with The Surface, which his parents believe is dangerous.  Humans live on The Surface and are not to be trusted.

When Borlen (nicknamed Grump) has the chance to visit The Surface, he does not hesitate.  Not long after, he befriends Queen Elfrieda Veronika Ingrid Lenore (E.V.I.L) and quickly becomes her trusted confidant.  It is no surprise that their friendship is short lived for Grump discovers the Queen’s plot to kill Snow White.  Because she snatched him by his beard (which is why humans are not to be trusted), Grump is now obliged to assist the huntsman in carrying out the queen’s orders.

Grump may have gotten his wish to visit The Surface, but he soon realizes that “getting your wish comes with its own load of rubble.” While readers know a happily ever after is in sight for Snow White, Shurtliff’s take on the fairy tale is a humorous and entertaining ride.  I especially love the relationship between Grump and Snow White and immensely enjoyed their banter.

A special thanks to Liesl Shurtlif for sending an ARC to my #bookexcursion group.  Look for Grump to be released May 29, 2018.

Meet Yasminby Saadia Faruqi Illustrated by Hatem Aly

Pakistani-American Yasmin Ahmad is an inquisitive and spunky second grade student who has a passion for exploring, painting, building, and creating. In each section, Yasmin is challenged with a problem and must use her creative thinking skills to resolve it. While Yasmin’s family is very supportive of her, what I love about Faruqi’s writing is Yasmin works first to find a solution on her own. Yasmin is a great role model for students reminding them to be think outside the box and persevere. To read my full review, please click here.

A special thanks to Jennifer Glidden at Capstone for sending an ARC to my #bookexcursion group.  Meet Yasmin publishes on August 1, 2018.

Too Much! Not Enough by Gina Perry

Peanut and Moe could not be more different. Peanut is messy, loud, and always wants more. Moe is neat, quiet, and wants a little less. When Moe finally can’t take all the commotion, he shouts “TOO MUCH!” and leaves the house with a book in hand. As Moe sits on the porch reading, sad Peanut decides to cleans up the “too much mess.” Outside Moe realizes that life is boring because there is “not enough Peanut.” How can the two friends learn to appreciate their differences?

Too Much Not Enough is a sweet story that teaches that true friendship is about respecting each other’s differences and learning from each other. Perry’s bright and bold illustrations of the adorable Moe and Peanut will immediately appeal to young readers. I say see children begging for this book to be read again and again!

A special thanks to Gina Perry for sending a F & G of Too Much Not Enough to my #bookexcursion group.  It will be released August 2018.

How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk Illustrated by Sara Palacios

On the last day of summer vacation, Pearl decides it’s her final opportunity to build a sand castle. Because Frisbees, surf boards, and dogs keep ruining her creations, Pearl devises a new plan involving her robot Pascal. In order for Pascal to assist her, Pearl must tell him how to build a sandcastle in code. She explains how coders must take one big problem and break it into smaller problems.

As Pearl gives Pascal instructions, she realizes the need for specificity. And when a sequence of directions need to be repeated, using a loop is much more efficient. When Pearl’s sandcastle is washed away because of high tide, she realizes that she can reuse her code to build another protected by a moat!

Josh Funk’s books are always a favorite with my students (and me too)! How to Build a Sandcastle is a great addition to #classroombookaday because one of our teachers has been running a coding club after school. Students enrolled in our summer STEM camp will also have an opportunity to engage in coding. This picture book will be a great way to introduce coding terms such as looping, and if-then-else.

A special thanks to Josh Funk for sharing a F & G of How to Code a Sandcastle to my #bookexcursion group.  Look for its release on May 15, 2018.

Etta’s and Bella’s Dog Pick of the Week: 

Wanting to spread the dog love, Beagles and Books has a weekly feature of highlighting a literary selection with a canine main character.

Swim Bark Run by Brian & Pamela Boyles Illustrated by Beth Hughes

Daisy, a bulldog, loves cheering on her dad Brian when he competes in a triathlon.  Wanting her own adventure, Daisy decides that it would be fun for her and her friends Dalmatian Hobie and Corgi Atticus to compete in their own race.  Rascal, a dachshund, creates a race course at the local park where they can swim across a pond, skateboard on the sidewalk, and run on a wooded trail.  On race day, Daisy, Hobie, and Atticus compete.  When any of the dogs sees another get far behind, they stop and cheer on their friend.  Swim Bark Run is an adorable story that celebrates friendship, teamwork, and determination as well as reinforces reaching a goal at your own pace.

A special thanks to Sky Pony Press for sharing a e-copy of Swim Bark Run through Edelweiss+. Look for its release on June 2018.

Etta, Bella, and I thank you for visiting Beagles and Books!  Have a great week! Happy Reading!