It's Monday: What Have You Been Reading?

Jen and Kellee over at Teach Mentor Texts have a weekly meme that I am happy to join every Monday. We discuss what we are reading in children's and young adult literature.

My reading last week:

My reading was very sparse this week because it was filled with several special class and school events.
I finished one book at the beginning of the week, and another at the end.

First, I read The Plant Hunters by Anita Silvey. This is an excellent non-fiction book filled with amazing stories and very interesting people. It tells the true stories of adventurers who have gone on dangerous journeys to gather plants for study.  The illustrations/photos are wonderful, and it is a very engaging book. It's probably best suited for upper elementary/young adult readers.

Second, I finished Chomp by Carl Hiaasen (Random House Children's Books). This is a young adult book about a teenager named Wahoo who lives in the Everglades with his parents. His dad is an animal wrangler, and he's been hired to work on a reality adventure show. The story is a crazy, wild adventure filled with some amazing, funny events. Along the way, they meet some interesting people--each with their own troubles. Mostly, it's about a son who cares for his father.

This week I am reading these two middle grade books:

Plunked by Michael Northrop
I just discovered this author, and Plunked was recently released. It's a fiction book about a boy who plays on a Little League team. I don't know baseball well, but I am really enjoying the story so far. I have quite a few students who play and LOVE baseball, so if I can find a book for them, I'm happy! I'll post my review on this next week.

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy
This is published by Walden Pond Press, and I've loved some of their recent titles (including Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu). I read the first paragraph, and I was instantly hooked. It's a fiction book about the princes we never hear about in our favorite fairy tales. I think it's a brilliant idea for a book. Can't wait to read it!
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This past week we were very fortunate to Skype with Katherine Applegate, author of The One and Only Ivan. Check the sidebar of this blog for the link to our classroom blog and read all about this wonderful visit! Katherine Applegate is a wonderful author who taught my students so much!