Must Read in 2019 - Final Update

In 2019 I had a list of 36 books. I think I had finished all but 2 books by the middle of June. Around that time my life kind of turned upside down due to some medical issues, and my reading, among many other things, took a place on the back row. During the remaining months of the year I was usually playing catch-up with my reading for school, without looking back at my challenge. I prepared to read my last book on December 31st, only to find out I had gotten the wrong book! So, unfortunately, six months later I finish with 35 of my 36 books read. I did check out that last book from the public library today! My list with the month during which I read each book is below:

This list contains many great books, but just a few of my favorites are listed below:

• The Bridge Home - I love this one and would really like to hear its name announced on awards day in January!
• Over the Moon - Fantasy is not usually my thing, but I adored this book and have recommended it over and over again.
• Stay - Like many of our student readers, I am always drawn to dog stories and this one will tug at your heartstrings!
• White Bird - This book was not particularly what I expected, but was an interesting extension to a beloved favorite.

I look forward to another year of reading!

Must Read in 2019

When I saw the reminder that it was almost to share our 2019 lists, I felt a wave of panic because it didn't seem like I had as many soon to be published books on my "to read" list as I usually do. Once I spent some time on Goodreads, I didn't have any trouble compiling a list, but it is a little bit shorter than last year. I have 36 titles, mostly for middle grades with a few exceptions, composing my #MustReadin2019.

I have spent a little less time on Twitter and reading blog posts this year, and I have definitely missed out on some updates by others as well as completing one of the updates for myself. I did briefly consider whether I was going to spend the time forming a list and making the post to share this year, but a couple of thoughts pushed me to do it. I think this community is a great source of ideas and inspiration. Reading the lists and updates of others always helps me add to my own and sometimes think about a book a little differently. I just need to do a better job in sharing more from my own reading life. I am a complete "check off the list" nerd! I guess I take great joy in marking things off lists, so this is really a huge motivator to me. I don't know why a written list pushes me to read more than the huge stack of books on my nightstand, but for some reason it does! Finally, the biggest benefit of my 2018 Must Read list came from printing a copy and taping it on the circulation desk at school. It helped create a great deal of book conversations and recommendations, to an extent I hadn't really imagined. So before writing this post, I taped the new list to my desk, ready for students to return on Monday, January 7!

My 2019 Must Reads are below:

I look forward to catching up with everyone else's new lists and to beginning a new year of reading!

Happy 2019!

Must Read in 2018 - Final Update

It almost seems strange to be going back to update this list, because I finished it back in May, but I wanted to take a quick look back before posting my 2019 list. I am definitely one who loves to work off a list, and I usually read all or at least most of the books on mine. I do listen to several of the books, which allows me to read more than I would otherwise. As I look back at my goals, my reading was spot on, but my wish to write more about the books I read only lasted a very short time. I didn't really blog on any of my books, with the exception of the spring #mustread update, and while I made some notes on books early in the year, I didn't stick with it. That will continue to be a goal. My other positive was keeping my list on my circulation desk at school. It was the spark of many conversations with students and even some teachers, and I consider that the biggest success of my #mustreadin2018!  My 2018 list is below:

There are several outstanding books on the list, and I didn't read any which I rated below 4 stars. Most books are for middle grade students, although I did include some young adult titles as well. Eight of the titles ended up on our 2018 Mock Newbery list. They are listed below:

• Amal Unbound
• Breakout
• Ghost Boys
• Hope in the Holler
• The Journey of Little Charlie
• Just Like Jackie
• The Parker Inheritance
• Rebound

I look forward to reading updates from others and to continuing the #mustread tradition in 2019!

Must Read in 2018 - April Update

I can hardly believe that it is already April! As we stop to check in our our #mustread lists, I am excited to say that I am about 75 percent through the books that I chose. I have stuck closely to my list, which has helped my progress. Most years I start digging into the Illinois Bluestem List about now, but when this year's list was announced I realized that I had already read all but four of the titles, so that hasn't pulled me away too much this time. One of my goals was to do more writing about my reading, and while I have jotted down a few notes here and there, I have not been very successful in this area. This remains on my To-Do list!

For the first time, I posted my Must Read in 2018 List on our circulation desk. It has been so much fun talking to students and teachers about the books I have been reading from it. I often share pictures of books I read, but for some reason several kids have taken more of an interest in the fact that I have a goal and that I am marking the books off. I have been highlighting each book as I read it, recording the month read, and sharing my rating (out of five stars) for each book. I also noted if a title was a Young Adult book, just so our students would know that our school library wouldn't be purchasing it. It has sparked great conversations and recommendations. 

It is rare that I like the second book in any series as much as the first, but I enjoyed The Wild Robot Escapes, Knock Out, and Bat and the Waiting Game as much as the earlier books. I read Breakout as an e-book from NetGalley, and I absolutely cannot wait for the actual book to be available to share with students. Amal Unbound, Halfway Normal, and Hope in the Holler were other standout books to me.

I look forward to reading these remaining books, and I am also eager to see posts from other readers. I think I will be adding some to my list, and it will be fun to get ideas from everyone else. I would honestly recommend every book I have read so far. Happy 2018 reading!

Must Read in 2018

When I first started thinking about composing my #mustread list for 2018, I feared that it was going to be more difficult than usual, as it did not seem like I had marked too many upcoming books or prepared well. Once I started going through my stack of ARCs, looking over my Goodreads list, and seeing end of year posts, I found that my problem has been not in coming up with great books, but in narrowing it down. This may be my longest list yet, with 42 books, but I am excited about a wonderful year of reading!

Most of my titles are middle grade fiction, although there are a few YA books mixed in. Several are new 2018 releases, although many are books that I have missed reading during the past couple of years.

• Ahimsa by Supriya Kelkar
• Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed
• Bat and the Waiting Game by Elana K. Arnold
• Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead
• Breakout by Kate Messner
• Chasing Augustus by Kimberly Newton Fusco (1/2/18)
• Checked by Cynthia Kadohata
• Code of Honor by Alan Gratz
• Code Word Courage by Kirby Larson
• Everything I Know About You by Barbara Dee
• The Exact Location of Home by Kate Messner
• Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
• Good Dog by Dan Gemeinhart
• Granted by John David Anderson
• Grump by Liesl Shurtliff
• Halfway Normal by Barbara Dee
• Hope in the Holler by Lisa Lewis Tyre (1/6/18)
• I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez
• The Journey of Little Charlie by Christopher Paul Curtis
• Just Dance by Patricia MacLachlan
• Just Like Jackie by Lindsey Stoddard
• Knockout by K. A. Holt
• Loser's Bracket by Chris Crutcher
• One Amazing Elephant by Linda Oatman High (1/6/18)
• The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson (1/14/18)
• The Perfect Score by Rob Buyea
• Playing Atari with Saddam Hussein by Jennifer Roy
• Rebound by Kwame Alexander
• A Pup Called Trouble by Bobbie Pyron
• Scythe by Neal Shusterman
• In Sight of Stars by Gae Polisner
• The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore (1/13/18)
• Sunny by Jason Reynolds
• Supergifted by Gordon Korman
• Tradition by Brendan Kiely
• Turtles All the Way Down by John Green (1/2/18)
• The Van Gogh Deception by Deron R. Hicks
• Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers by Deborah Heiligman
• We Were Here by Matt de la Pena
• The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown
• Winterhouse by Ben Guterson
• You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly

My other reading goal involves keeping better notes on some of the books I read. I find that I read quickly and am struggling to keep information straight when I am making recommendations to students down the road. I am working on a journal to help me out in this area. 

I look forward to viewing the lists of other participants and to sharing an exciting year of books. Thank you so much to Carrie Gelson for hosting this group.  Happy reading in 2018!

Must Read in 2017 - List Completed!

In 2017, I created a list of 35 #mustread books, which I just completed with only a few days to go! I am definitely a list maker in most areas of life, and I enjoy having a reading list to guide me as I begin each new year. I tend to make great progress on this list early in the year, and then I slow down as new books pop up and the state award lists are released. This year was no exception, as I followed my typical reading pattern. My list is below:

                                                   

• Audacity Jones to the Rescue by Kirby Larson (2/26/17)
• Another Brooklyn by Jaqueline Woodson (2/20/17)
• The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey (5/31/17)
• Be Light Like a Bird by Monika Schroder (2/25/17)
• A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold (4/6/17)
• Compass South by Hope Larson (2/25/17)
• Flying Lessons by Ellen Oh (3/1/17)
• The Friendship Doll by Kirby Larson (3/5/17)
• Gone Camping by Tamera Will Wissinger (5/2/17)
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (3/15/17)
• Hero on a Bicycle by Shirley Hughes (2/5/17)
• House Arrest by K. A. Holt (2/12/17)
• Jumping the Scratch by Sarah Weeks (2/1/17)
• Liberty by Kirby Larson (3/27/17)
• Payback by Gordon Korman (3/12/17)
• Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt (1/23/17)
• Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke (11/10/17)
• My Life with the Liars by Caela Carter (2/23/17)
• The Nine Lives of Jacob Tibbs by Cylin Busby (12/27/17)
• Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder (4/15/17)
• Piper Green and the Fairy Tree by Ellen Potter (2/21/17)
• The Playbook by Kwame Alexander (1/14/17)
• Projekt 1065 by Alan Gratz (1/28/17)
• A Rambler Steals Home by Carter Higgins (5/21/17)
• Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart (1/24/17)
• Secret Coders by Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes (2/5/17)
• Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan (2/10/17)
• Some Kind of Happiness by Claire Legrand (1/17/17)
• The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau (2/17/17)
• Under Their Skin by Margaret Peterson Haddix (5/27/17)
• The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann (2/1/17)
• The Warden's Daughter by Jerry Spinelli (2/11/17)
• When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin (2/18/17)
• The World From Up Here by Cecilia Galante (1/7/17)
• When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds (3/8/17)

I enjoy being part of the #mustread community, and I know it helps me to pause and create a reading list at the beginning of each new year. Thank you to Carrie Gelson for hosting. I always look forward to checking out lists and progress of others, while gaining new titles for myself. I did miss part of my reading goal that I shared last year, which was to use a journal to write about my reading. I started out doing this with little consistency, and eventually gave it up completely. This is going to be a priority on next year's list!

Must Read in 2017 - Spring Update, April 6

January and February are usually really good reading months for me, partially due to the fact that I am not a fan of cold weather and would be happy to stay in and read for the entire two months if I could! I have made great progress on my Must Read list, sitting at 28 of 35 at the present time. My updated list is below:

• Audacity Jones to the Rescue by Kirby Larson (2/26/17)
• Another Brooklyn by Jaqueline Woodson (2/20/17)
• The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey
• Be Light Like a Bird by Monika Schroder (2/25/17)
• A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold (4/6/17)
• Compass South by Hope Larson (2/25/17)
• Flying Lessons by Ellen Oh (3/1/17)
• The Friendship Doll by Kirby Larson (3/5/17)
• Gone Camping by Tamera Will Wissinger
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (3/15/17)
• Hero on a Bicycle by Shirley Hughes (2/5/17)
• House Arrest by K. A. Holt (2/12/17)
• Jumping the Scratch by Sarah Weeks (2/1/17)
• Liberty by Kirby Larson (3/27/17)
• Payback by Gordon Korman (3/12/17)
• Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt (1/23/17)
• Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke
• My Life with the Liars by Caela Carter (2/23/17)
• The Nine Lives of Jacob Tibbs by Cylin Busby
• Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder
• Piper Green and the Fairy Tree by Ellen Potter (2/21/17)
• The Playbook by Kwame Alexander (1/14/17)
• Projekt 1065 by Alan Gratz (1/28/17)
• A Rambler Steals Home by Carter Higgins
• Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart (1/24/17)
• Secret Coders by Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes (2/5/17)
• Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan (2/10/17)
• Some Kind of Happiness by Claire Legrand (1/17/17)
• The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau (2/17/17)
• Under Their Skin by Margaret Peterson Haddix
• The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann (2/1/17)
• The Warden's Daughter by Jerry Spinelli (2/11/17)
• When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin (2/18/17)
• The World From Up Here by Cecilia Galante (1/7/17)
• When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds (3/8/17)

With a list like this one, it is almost difficult to identify favorites, as nearly all of these books have been highly recommended and they usually live up to the hype. Even with a list of exceptional books, there are still a few that stand out to me.

A Boy Called Bat

Wow, don't miss this one! You can see into Bat's heart and you will grow to love him! It is truly written in a way that children can look through that window and see life through Bat's eyes, and many will share his love for animals. I think it is an exceptional book!

The Hate You Give

I listened to the audio version of this one, which is such an important and relevant book for anyone living in our country today. I highly recommend the audio version if you enjoy listening to books!

My Life With the Liars

I could hardly put this one down once I got started reading it. It is a fascinating look into Zylynn's world after being removed from a compound where she had not been treated well. To most readers it would seem like she should be relieved to have a new start, but she is very unsure of her new family, home, and surroundings.

Payback

I have adored the Masterminds series, and this final one was no exception. This has also been a hit among my middle grade students, with many eager readers signing up to be the next person to check it out. 

Scar Island

This one is fast-paced and packed with actions. I have had many middle grade students who have loved it! It reels them in and holds their attention. When our 4th/5th grade book club discussed it, there were several wishing for a sequel!

Once the state award lists have been released around the first of March, my reading from this list always slows down a great deal, but I look forward to completing the rest of these titles and catching up on what other #mustreadin2017 participants have read.