{JULY 2021 // A MONTHLY READING WRAP UP... }
y’all already know how I feel about our reading life. it’s about that time when i try my hand at taking a moment to try and wrap up what we’ve read and share all the things. first of all… i’ve been struggling with how to share what we are reading. this wrap up is going up in july but really only a reflection of what we’ve read in may 😩😩😩. not sure how to keep up with our reading life but I guess I have to start from somewhere, so here goes!
this was a me-read, pre-read for me and I loved it. i can make this promise by christine day is about edie’s journey to discover more about who she is. her identify, her family, her heritage. her mother was adopted by a white couple and seems to know very little about her native heritage. edie finds a box of letters in her attic and sets out of a journey to discover more about what her family might be hiding from her.
I loved this story. I love the clarity under which the author writes. the way the story handles difficult subject matter and the complexities of the parent-child relationship with “truth” when it concerns family history. I snuggled myself on the top bunk of savannah’s bed and read this one with so much hope in my heart.
raising children is a difficult job. stewarding their hearts and minds, teaching them about the world, building them up, encouraging them and leading them of this journey of discovering the complexities of life is… whew!!! honestly, I love the opportunities that reading bring. the invitation to handle the diversity of life in such a gentle way.
this one was a keeper for me.
this was a cam club read by one of his favorite authors. one for the murphys by lynda mullaly hunt. a story about foster care, 12-year old carley walks through the trama of ‘losing’ her mother’s presence in her life and being places with another family where she explores what family, trust, and belonging really mean.
i didn’t pre-read this one. i just looked forward to the bits and pieces that cam felt willing to share along the way. the moment ill never forget is when he walked into my room with a happy sadness in his eyes that let me know he had finished it and he’d never be the same, lol. that night he shared his favorite parts/quotes/lines from the book and we gushed over this one, all-telling-all-encompassing line…
“i think of my mom and then mrs. murphy. how she’s both strong and gentle; the two, twisted together like soft serve ice cream. i wish hard that there could be two of me. one for my mother and one for the murphys.”
y’all know how I feel about ms. jane! i love her. i always learn so much from her compassion, her courage, her curiosity, her care. it’s straightforward and simple. no fluff… very scientifically a matter of fact-ish! i’ll probably forever find a way to put a book about her in one of the kids hand. primates, the fearless science of jane goodall by jim ottaviani & maris wicks is a graphic novel that savannah really enjoyed.
this book, when star are scattered by victoria jamieson and omar mohamed easily made it’s way to my kendall bears top 5. its a story about brothers who grew up in a kenyan refugee camp and their journey to fight for education while keeping their family in tact. it was pure graphic novel love. I loveeeee a good graphic novel and the good ones are hard to come by. one that is clean, rich in story and lesson while having an enriching balance of illustration/graphics and words. my big boy loved this book, this story and honestly, couldn’t put it down. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
he wouldn’t have picked this one up on his own. it was a gentle suggestion from me and he (Kendall) enjoyed it in the end. not his favorite book ever. nothing to write home about, lol. but, he enjoyed it non-the less. finding wonders by jeanine atkins is super unique.
three biographies written in verse about three girls in three different time periods who grew up to become groundbreaking scientists.
exposure to “different’ is always the goal around here and this book added that to his list. it is meant to celebrate exploration and “finding wonder”. and, while i know it’s not on his list of favorites, i’ve heard him make mention of the writing, the scientist, their discoveries and their journeys through his days and I love that for him.
“what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
a kind of paradise by amy rebecca tan, a cam club read (I like to refer to his reads this way because he takes his books and his reading life so very seriously and I love it so much). about a girl named jamie who made a mistake and ended up having to volunteer at the library as punishment. she spends the summer getting to know the library and the people who frequent it.
cam gave this one 3 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ and I am learning so much about him, his reading life and the way he shapes his thoughts and feeling around his stories. he’s a gem. he quickly let me know that a books lack of stars has less to do with the quality of a book and so much more to do with his enjoyment.
take back the block by chrystal d. giles. this book, i really enjoyed. it was a pre-read with a neighborhood book club in mind and it did not disappoint. the writing was basic and straightforward, but relatable and real. it covered family dynamics, friendships, and coming of age for sure. what I really enjoyed the most was the conversation surrounding gentrification, historical preservation and the idea of life purpose being passed through generation.
at a time where their days are quickly transforming into the big kids years, finding stories to open up conversation and consider family, community, and purpose beyond the walls of our own home is priceless.
“Oh, my daughter, at times you have to fight, but preferably not with your fists.””
inside out and back again by thanhha lai. ten year old Hà and her family are fored to flee Saigon in the Vietnam War. telling the story of her journey by ship to alabama, this book was a very quick read, evoked empathy and consideration while making way for curiosity to ensue.
this was another pre-read for me and i’ve decided to offer it up as a buddy read with all three kids for them to take turns leading discussion.
“If you love something you should love it extravagantly.”
macy mcmillian and the rainbow goddess by shari green. i am not sure why i am loving this book but i do. so many different ideals that I enjoy all in one. macy is in the sixth grade, faced with moving, a new stepfather, step sisters and a task to help her 86 year old neighbor iris pack up and move. she’s got stories to tell and while macy’s deafness presents a bit of a challenge, they go on to communicate through notes, books and cookie…. FRIENNNDDDSSSS , i think this book deserves a little bookish club discussion. ill keep you posted.
“if you love books
read a great many books.
If you love to sing,
sing loudly and often.
Whatever you do
do it with all your heart.”
keeping up with and documenting our reading life hasn’t been as easy as I thought it might be, lol. but I will say that printing out and filling in a separate reading log printable for each of the different categories (i.e. cameron, kendall, savannah, family reads, buddy reads, book clubs, challenges etc.) has been a life saver when it comes to circling back around to recap and record our progress.
are you working through a summer reading plan? would you like to see us be more active in sharing a play by play of ours on instagram/youtube/facebook?
let us know what you’ve read lately, big or small stack… it all counts.
with all the love,
syreena