What I've Been Reading Lately

January has come and gone. I still can't quite believe that. As I work on my library #happyplanner, I see the month will be busy with Valentine's Day and our Scholastic Book Fair. March cannot be too close behind, and before we know it, it WILL be Spring Break.

No matter what month it is, I always have stacks of books to read. I enjoy the variety, the discovery, and the possibility between the pages. So many types of amazing #kidlit to read, I know I will never run out.

Here are the books I want to share with you today on my blog:

(Hover over each book title to learn more about the book.)

Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall
Publisher: Little Brown.
Publication date: 4/10/18

This is a truly lavish and lovely picture book with stunning colors and vibrancy! A touching story of a family's life in and around a lighthouse, each page turn envelopes you and makes you never want to leave. Did you love Blackall's Caldecott-wining Finding Winnie (also by LittleBrown)? Then you will love this, too. I especially appreciate that the book's trim size is "tall" -- just like a lighthouse. I can hardly wait to buy a final copy!

Tumble & Blue  by Cassie Beasley

Publisher: Penguin Random House 

Publication date: 8/29/17

This is a magical middle grade, as I like to call it! Named for the main characters, this is a story of two friends trying to fix things in their family -- and take the curses away from their lives. I enjoyed the storytelling, the curiosity of it, the quirky characters, and wondering how it would all end. If you loved Beasley's Circus Mirandus, you will love this, too. 

The Digger and the Flower by Joseph Kuefler 

Publisher: HarperChildren's 

Publication date: 1/23/18

Before I opened this book, three aspects of it captured my attention: its trim size, typography, and cover layout. Yellow and black make for complimentary colors and I have seen them together before in picture books of course, but in this combo and in this presentation, the pairing seems never-before-done. I will blog about this book in a separate post coming soon, but this story works because of its ingenious simplicity, repetition, and endearing character, Digger. The dirt on the pages and soot of the machines seems real, and Kuefler has given these machines emotions and character. I felt Digger's sadness (no spoilers here!) as well as the meanness of Crane and Dozer. As I mentioned before, I will blog about this one separately because so much about it intrigues me. 

Of course there are many other books in my stacks, but these are the ones I wanted to share with you today. 

And before I close, here is the book I am currently reading: Children of Exile by Margaret Peterson Haddix--

and here is the book I just finished: 

Last: 

The shoes: (because that IS my blog's name!) 

I can't find them on the Nine West website anymore because I bought them last summer, but I always love when I have the chance to wear my black leather slip-on sneakers by Nine West. According to the box, the style was "Oops DaisyO". They are fashionable, flat, and comfortable, and they survive a busy day in the library!