Thanks to Mother Nature’s tight grip on Ohio this past week, I have been on an almost week long hiatus from school. Extra time = reading time! It’s been awesome and I feel like I’ve finally got my reading groove back. Hope it’s here for awhile!

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys and invites bloggers to recap what they’ve read this week while planning ahead on what to read next! Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers added their own twist by focusing on kidlit, from picture books up to YA.

Be sure to click on the covers for an in depth synopsis and others’ reviews

Odette’s Secrets by Maryann MacDonald

Historical Fiction Novel, written in verse, 2013
240 Pages
My Goodreads Rating: 4/5 Stars
Odette and her parents are non practicing Jews that live in Paris. Their lives are turned upside down after her father enlists in the army, is captured and sent to a camp. Odette is sent to live and hide in the country and has to adapt to a completely new way of life. I enjoyed this novel in verse and think it would give middle school students a good perspective of a child’s struggles during WWII in a place other than Germany.

Hidden by Helen Frost

Realistic Fiction Novel, written in verse , 2011
160 Pages
My Goodreads Rating: 5/5 Stars
Wren Abbot is in the wrong place at the wrong time. She stays in her mother’s van while her mother goes inside a gas station, and the van is stolen. The van is stolen by Darra Monson’s father, and he doesn’t know anyone else is in the vehicle. When Darra’s dad hides the van in his family’s garage, Wren finds herself trapped. Wren manages to escape and the two girls lives are instantly intertwined and never the same again, especially after they meet years later at summer camp. I really liked this book and found the alternating viewpoints fascinating.

This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki

YA Graphic Novel, 2014
320 Pages
My Goodreads Rating: 4/5 Stars
This One Summer won both a Caldecott Honor and a Printz Honor, which is pretty interesting. This coming of age story centers around Rose and her family’s yearly trip to the beach.  Most of the book is really sad and full of family secrets and Rose trying to figure out life and growing up. While I found some spots a little slow, the artwork in this book is beautifully done.

And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard

Contemporary YA Fiction, written in verse  2015
240 Pages
My Goodreads Rating: 5/5 Stars
And We Stay is another 2015 Printz Honor book and I loved it. Emily is shipped off to a prestigious boarding school after her ex boyfriend threatens her in the school library one day and takes his own life. Her new school is Amherst College, where famed and tortured poet Emily Dickinson lived. Emily is forced to come to terms with what happened and move on with her life. Easier said than done. This book is very well written. The combination of flashbacks, present time and poems from Emily Dickinson intertwined into the storyline were beautiful. This is a really sad book but I think it was an excellent choice for a Printz honor. Highly recommend!

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Middle Grade Fiction, 2015
288 Pages
My Goodreads Rating: 5/5 Stars
This book has had so many fans from the start that I knew I had to read it. Talk about a heartwarming book for teachers and students! Ally is a super smart young lady, but she can’t read. She is too embarrassed to ask for help, her teacher and principal think she is a trouble maker and she is constantly picked on by the mean girls. Her dad is deployed, her mom works all the time and her brother has his own frustrations. It isn’t until Mr. Daniels, a long term substitute, comes to Ally’s class that things begin to change for her. I got choked up so many times while reading this book. It is so, so special. I loved the friendship between Ally, Albert and Keisha, and think this is right up there with Wonder, Counting By 7’s and Mockingbird, which are all books that hold a special place in my heart. Highly recommend!