The weekly post where I recap some of the KidLit books I’ve been reading. Ocasionally, I’ll also talk about some adult fiction books as well.
Be sure to check out Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers to see what other Kidlit readers are reading. Because, you know, we can never have too many books in our TBR piles.
Just Finished
written by Lana Koehler & Gloria Adams
illustrated by Ken Min
(Sterling Children’s Books, 2016)
I mostly picked this one up because my three year old son has been going around pretend-sneezing and then saying “coronavirus”. (Face palm). The main character in this book desperately wants a pet, but his little sister is allergic to every animal, from A to Z, that he brings home. My kids got a kick out of the end because the one pet the little sister didn’t sneeze at happened to be our pet as well!
written by Stacy McAnulty
illustrated by David Litchfield
(Henry Holt and Co. BYR, 2020)
I have read the other books in this series and this one is my favorite, I think. I absolutely loved the illustrations. And I enjoyed the laid back surfer voice of the ocean. It made for a really fun read aloud with the family.
written by Kim Norman
illustrated by Carolyn Digby Conahan
(Sterling Children’s Books, 2015)
This book has been on my TBR forever. Old VW buses are my favorite car, so I was immediately drawn to the cover. It is a re imagining of the “This Old Man” nursery rhyme. A few parts had my tongue twisted up, but that actually added to the giggles and fun-ness of reading this one aloud. I also enjoyed the other small story threads shown within the illustrations.
by Karen M. McManus
(Delacorte Press, 2017)
This is not the type of book that I normally read, but my ten year old was begging for a murder mystery. Whenever there’s a book she’s interested in, but I am unsure of any potential content, I’ll try to read it parallel to her so that we can talk about any questions she may have, or if there are any parts I feel need to be addressed. She’s still reading (and thoroughly enjoying) it, and I finished the audio book last week. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I liked how there were 4 different readers for each of the 4 main characters. I also enjoyed the twists and turns.
Added to My TBR
Shop the books above and support me and local Indies:
Ah-Choo! by Lana Koehler & Gloria Adams (authors) and Ken Mi (illustrator)
Ocean: Waves for All by Stacy McAnulty (author) and David Litchfield (illustrator)
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
The Canyon’s Edge by Dusti Bowling
Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner (author) and Christopher Silas Neal (illustrator)
How to Solve a Problem: The Rise (and Falls) of a Rock-Climbing Champion by Ashima Shiraishi (author) and Yao Xiao (illustrator)
Sloth Reads 
Just finished One of Us is Lying in one sitting, even though it’s not something I normally read! It’s well paced and excellent storytelling for everyone, even people who are coming at it from outside the genre.
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Yes! I’m hoping to eventually check out the sequel too.
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Each one sounds good & they’re new to me. I have the Messner book (all are wonderful) & How To Solve A Problem which my granddaughters loved because they rock climb! Have a great week and thanks!
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Well, if your post mentions books written by both Stacy McAnulty and Dusti Bowling, it must be fabulous! These are two of my all-time favorite authors. I can’t wait to read both Ocean: Waves for All and The Canyon’s Edge. And One of Us Is Lying isn’t my normal kind of read, either, but I enjoyed it so much that I read One of Us Is Next, as well. Both were super fast reads I couldn’t put down, so perhaps I should spend more time reading mystery suspense novels. Have a great reading week, Becky!
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I’ve never ready any of Dusti Bowling’s books. The Canyon’s Edge definitely looks great though. Any other recommendations?
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I’ve not read anything of Dusti Bowling’s that I wouldn’t heartily recommend. Aven Green is an amazing character in her “cactus” books (and the venture into the high school scene was so much better than I’d imagined in #2). However, I bought a copy of 24 Hours in Nowhere for my home library after having already read a free e-ARC. Then I read it aloud to all my children and then my 12 year old asked my husband to read it to him again (which he gladly did). It will remain a Miller favorite, I’m sure. Dusti brings such life to what might otherwise seem a boring setting. ❤
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Thanks for sharing this wonderful collection of books today. I went to see if my library had a copy of One of Us Is Lying. I was happy to discover they have the audiobook and that this is the first in a series.
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These books sound awesome! I love your anecdote about Ah-Choo—I imagine getting kids to act right during this pandemic is virtually (ha!) impossible. This Old Van sounds like a really neat book—VW Buses are quite cool! Thanks for the great post!
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Your three year old is hilarious! I’ve been calling my cat “Corona Kitty” since she’s been wheezing (asthma, so the recent steroid shot has cut my fun short).
Thanks for all the good shares.
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