February 2016 reads

February might be a short month, but I still managed to get a lot of reading accomplished!  I finished 32 books - mostly teen and adult.  

I started listening to books for my committee in February, but haven't completed any yet. I can't share the titles I read for the committee, so those will not be reflected in my monthly total. 

As always, titles in bold have been rated five stars on my Goodreads account.

Screwdrivered by Alice Clayton

Lumberjanes, Vol. 2: Friendship to the Max by Noelle Stevenson

Rusty Nailed by Alice Clayton

Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat by Bee Wilson

Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy by Noelle Stevenson

Princeless Book 1: Save Yourself by Jeremy Whitley      

Wallbanger by Alice Clayton      

Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian

Nuts by Alice Clayton   

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 4: Last Days by G. Willow Wilson

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

Playing With Fire by Katie MacAlister

Bug in a Vacuum by Mélanie Watt

I Really Like Slop! by Mo Willems

Happy Birthday, Cupcake! by Terry Border

Grumbles from the Forest: Fairy-Tale Voices with a Twist by Jane Yolen  

Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War by Steve Sheinkin

Holy Smokes by Katie MacAlister          

I Lived on Butterfly Hill by Marjorie Agosín         

The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle

The Old Brown Suitcase: A Teenager's Story of War and Peace by Lillian Boraks-Nemetz 

Oedipus the King by Sophocles

The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

How Mirka Caught a Fish by Barry Deutsch        

X by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon

Lady Alexandra's Excellent Adventure: A Summersby Tale by Sophie Barnes

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein        

My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

Cuddle Up with Teddy preschool storytime plan

Last month we encouraged the preschoolers to Cuddle Up with Teddy at our teddy bear themed preschool storytime. You can get my planning sheet by clicking here.

For the craft we made teddy bears out of the letter B. Here's the PDF of the craft.

Winter Wonderland preschool storytime theme

We recently had a winter storm that left us with a lot of snow.  What better time to share my Winter Wonderland storytime plan?  Please note, to view the file, you will need a version of Adobe Acrobat Reader (get it free here).

 

All ready for the fun to begin!

January 2016 reads

In January I managed to read 54 books (19 novels, 29 picture books, and 6 graphic novels).  Not too shabby, if I do say so.  

As usual, the titles in bold are ones I rated 5 stars on my Goodreads account.

Feverborn by Karen Marie Moning

Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon      

Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan

George by Alex Gino

Annie and the Old One by Miska Miles

The Hundred Penny Box by Sharon Bell Mathis  

Mixed Me! by Taye Diggs         

Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall

Sequoyah: The Cherokee Man Who Gave His People Writing by James Rumford

Librarian's Night Before Christmas by David Davis

Your Baby's First Word Will Be DADA by Jimmy Fallon

Everyone Loves Bacon by Kelly DiPucchio

Blow Me Down by Katie MacAlister

Goodnight Already! by Jory John

Thankful by Eileen Spinelli

Good Night Yoga: A Pose-By-Pose Bedtime Story by Mariam Gates

Lenny & Lucy by Philip C. Stead

15 Things Not to Do with a Baby by Margaret McAllister

My Tata's Remedies / Los remedios de mi Tata by Roni Ashford

A Pig, a Fox, and a Box by Jonathan Fenske

Little Big by Jonathan Bentley

Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great by Bob Shea

Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman

Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras by Duncan Tonatiuh

Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick

Defending Hearts by Shannon Stacey

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Sex is a Funny Word: A Book about Bodies, Feelings, and YOU by Cory Silverberg

Under the Lights by Shannon Stacey

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford

Written and Drawn by Henrietta by Liniers

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena

Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir by Margarita Engle

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene

The Wonderful Fluffy Little Squishy by Beatrice Alemagna

Mango, Abuela, and Me by Meg Medina

Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews

Supertruck by Stephen Savage

Don't Throw It to Mo! by David A. Adler

Without Me by Chelle Bliss

Miracle in a Dry Season by Sarah Loudin Thomas

The Brands Who Came For Christmas by Maggie Shayne

The Littlest Cowboy by Maggie Shayne

Winter by Marissa Meyer

Light My Fire by Katie MacAlister

This Is Sadie by Sara O'Leary

The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers

The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy: A Handbook for Girl Geeks by Sam Maggs

How to Date a Werewolf by Rose Pressey

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 1: Squirrel Power by Ryan North

Baba Yaga's Assistant by Marika McCoola

Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L Holm

Party Palooza Preschool Storytime Plan

Today's my baby sister's birthday.  In honor of her birthday, I decided to share the storytime plan from my birthday week.  Yes...we had a birthday themed storytime in honor of MY birthday.  Because it is all about me and my day. ;)

 You can download a PDF of the Party Pallooza storytime plan by clicking here.

For the craft we made pigs in party hats (click for PDF of the craft).  The kids enjoyed the storytime, craft...and the treat I shared (since it was my birthday, I wanted to give them a little something extra).  There were smiles all around. 

Please note, to view the files, you will need a version of Adobe Acrobat Reader (get it free here).

December 2015 Reads

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I wasn't able to read as much as I would have liked.  I did finish 17 books in December, for a final yearly toll of 373 books.
  Here's the list of the books I read in November.  As usual, the titles that are in bold are ones I have rated five stars on Goodreads.

Fire Me Up by Katie MacAlister

Bound by Grace by Amber Stockton

One Came Home by Amy Timberlake

Love Finds You in Folly Beach, South Carolina by Loree Lough     

Everything I Need To Know I Learned From a Little Golden Book by Diane Muldrow        

Dakota Born by Debbie Macomber  

Bluestone Homecoming by M. J. Fredrick    

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman      

Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey

Almost a Bride by Patricia McLinn    

Share the Moon by Sharon Struth

Naughty Mabel by Nathan Lane

An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon

Queen of Diamonds by Barbara Metzger

A Fine Dessert: Four Centuries, Four Families, One Delicious Treat by Emily Jenkins

Uncover Me by Chelle Bliss

Her Heart's Desire by Ruth Ann Nordin

November 2015 reads

I had a few reading challenges I wanted to finish in November.  Mostly I succeeded, thanks to the 29 books I read that month.  One I finished on the final day! (Those will be in another post)

Here's the list of the books I read in November.  As usual, the titles that are in bold are ones I have rated five stars on Goodreads.

Resist Me by Chelle Bliss

Resisting by Chelle Bliss

Jack of Clubs by Barbara Metzger   

Throttled by Chelle Bliss

Hook Me by Chelle Bliss

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

Her Dakota Man by Lisa Mondello

Throttle Me by Chelle Bliss

Wretched Chastity by Carré White

A Mail Order Bride For Charlie by Carré White

Ace of Hearts by Barbara Metzger

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Rudy's Windy Christmas by Helen Baugh

The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

Dying to Read by Lorena McCourtney

Humans of New York: Stories by Brandon Stanton

Bargaining With a Rake by Julie Johnstone

Fangs for the Memories by Molly Harper

The Single Undead Moms Club by Molly Harper

The World's Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette's, Faith, Strength, and the Power of Family by Josh Hanagarne

If... by Sarah Perry

Brain Camp by Susan Kim

After Alice by Gregory Maguire

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency  by Alexander McCall Smith

Rat Queens, Vol. 2: The Far Reaching Tentacles of N'rygoth by Kurtis J. Wiebe

Monster on the Hill by Rob Harrell

A Birthday for Cow! by Jan Thomas

The Birthday Box by Leslie Patricelli

Public Displays of Affection by Susan Donovan

October 2015 Reads

October was a busy month.  The hubby, pups, and I went on vacation to visit my family. I did get some reading accomplished, but not nearly as much as I would have liked.   Then I participated in the Dewey's fall 24-hour Read-a-thon.  That was awesome!  I can hardly wait for April and the next event!

Here's the list of the books I read in October.  As usual, the titles that are in bold are ones I have rated five stars on Goodreads.

The Fairytale Cake by Mark Sperring 
Monster Needs a Party by Paul Czajak 
The Cake That Mack Ate by Rose Robart 
If You Give a Pig a Party by Laura Joffe Numeroff 
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard 
A Pig Parade Is a Terrible Idea by Michael Ian Black 
Your Alien by Tammi Sauer 
Little Bird's Bad Word by Jacob In a Village by the Sea by Muon Van 
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate 
Gone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Williams-Garcia 
Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales by Stephen King  Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore 
Saga, Volume 5 by Brian K. Vaughan 
Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine 
You Slay Me by Katie MacAlister 
Ragweed's Farm Dog Handbook by Anne Vittur Kennedy 
Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson 
All-Star Superman, Vol. 1 by Grant Morrison 
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson 
Rat Queens, Vol. 1: Sass and Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe 
Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath by Stephanie Hemphill 
Captain Marvel, Vol. 3: Alis Volat Propriis by Kelly Sue DeConnick 
Keesha's House by Frost, Helen 
Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman  
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell 
Paperboy by Vince Vawter 
Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh 
A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon 
The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes 
And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard 
A Midsummer Night's Romp by Katie MacAlister 
You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day

September 2015 reads

I accomplished a lot of reading in September!  Sixty-four books, to be exact.  There are a lot of picture books and a few graphic novels.  Overall it was a great month of reading.

Here's the list.  As usual, the titles that are in bold are ones I have rated five stars on Goodreads.

Everybody Sees the Ants by A. S. King

I Don't Like Koala by Sean Ferrell

King of the Mild Frontier: An Ill-Advised Autobiography by Chris Crutcher

Mirabelle Goes for a Walk by Michael Muller

The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt

The Full Moon at the Napping House by Audrey Wood

Young Avengers, Vol. 2: Alternative Culture by Kieron Gillen

Hawkeye, Vol. 4: Rio Bravo by Matt Fraction

The Honeymoon Hoax by Linda Palmer

Spells by Emily Gravett

Flawed Dogs: The Year-End Leftovers At The Piddleton "Last Chance" Dog Pound by Berkeley Breathed

Cooking Class: 57 Fun Recipes Kids Will Love to Make (and Eat!) by Deanna F. Cook

The Wonderful Things You Will Be by Emily Winfield Martin

I Will Chomp You! by Jory John

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Frog! by Lucille Colandro

My Dinosaur Is More Awesome! by Simon Coster

How to Read a Story by Kate Messner

If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, Don't! by Elise Parsley

Papa's Backpack byJames Christopher Carroll

Butterfly Park by Elly MacKay          

Love in the Time of Dragons by Katie MacAlister

Wolf Won't Bite! by Emily Gravett

Blue Chameleon by Emily Gravett

My Dog Is the Best by Laurie Ann Thompson

Night Animals by Gianna Marino

Bear and Hare Go Fishing by Emily Gravett

Wild Feelings by David Milgrim

Pepper & Poe by Frann Preston-Gannon     

Tony Baroni Loves Macaroni by Marilyn Sadler

The Fly by Petr Horáček

Polar Bear's Underwear by Tupera Tupera

The Importance of Being Alice by Katie MacAlister

Young Avengers, Vol. 1: Style > Substance by Kieron Gillen

Captain Marvel, Vol. 2: Stay Fly by Kelly Sue DeConnick

The Hollow Boy by Jonathan Stroud

True North by Marie Force

The Slug by Elise Gravel

Melissa's Octopus and Other Unsuitable Pets by Charlotte Voake

I'm Trying to Love Spiders by Bethany Barton

Divorce Is the Worst by Anastasia Higginbotham

How to Pee: Potty Training for Boys by Todd Spector

A Guide to Sisters by Paula Metcalf

Get Out of My Bath! by Britta Teckentrup

The Terrible Plop by Ursula Dubosarsky

Shoulda Been a Cowboy by Maisey Yates

Bad News Cowboy by Maisey Yates

Thor, Vol. 1: Goddess of Thunder by Jason Aaron

Waiting by Kevin Henkes

I Wish You More by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Mirabelle and the Butterfly by Michael Muller

Mirabelle and the Bouncy Red Ball by Michael Muller

Brokedown Cowboy by Maisey Yates

Part Time Cowboy by Maisey Yates

Kissing Mr. Right by Michelle Major

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins

Day Dreamers: A Journey of Imagination by Emily Winfield Martin

The Story Starts Here! by Caroline Merola

Rawr! by Todd H. Doodler

The Story of Life: A First Book about Evolution by Catherine Barr

A Lion in Paris by Beatrice Alemagna

The Five of Us by Quentin Blake

I Wish I Had a Pet by Maggie Rudy

Big Bad Bubble by Adam Rubin