Jen Robinson's Book Page-http://www.growingbookworms.com

Reading More and Connecting More in 2021

January 02, 2021

New Year's Greetings to any of you who are still following my sorely neglected blog. December 17th marked the blog's 15th birthday. I had hopes of doing a post to celebrate that, but today will have to do. I am still here, and grateful for my years of blogging and reviewing books. Sadly, however, juggling work and family responsibilities in this pandemic year has caused blogging to fall off my plate.

I popped in today to share two things: my "one word" for 2021 and my list of books read in 2020.

Last year, my "one word" was LESS. I intended that to mean spending less time on things I wasn't enthusiastic about, and more time on things like reading. But, as with many people's plans in 2020, that is not how things turned out. I ended up with LESS reading and much less blogging time instead.

I read 75 books in 2020 (see below), of which 41 were audiobooks. My normal pace, through 2018, was about 150 books a year. I slowed down some in 2019 (to 123) because I was reading a greater percentage of adult books. This year, though, I think the decline was more about 2020's challenges and my own inability to focus on reading. I also listened to quite a few podcasts, which cut down on my audiobook listening time. I hope to be able to read more in 2021, but there's no telling. I intend to accept that as it comes.

2020 also ended up meaning LESS travel to see family, and LESS time with other people closer to home. A silver lining for me of the year was how very much I came to appreciate the people that we did see in person and the people that we connected with in other ways. One of my favorite reads of the year was Vivek Murthy's Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World. I closed out the year with Kate Murphy's You're Not Listening: What You're Missing and Why It Matters.

I've gone back and forth between choosing CONNECT and LISTEN for 2021's one word. Ultimately, I chose CONNECT. If there's one thing I learned this year it's how critically important genuine human connection is to well being. I think LISTEN is more of a skill to help me strengthen my connection to people, though it's one I intend to actively work on. But my real goal is nurturing stronger connections with the people who matter to me. What that's going to mean in terms of my blogging, I can't say.

My wish for all of you is more human connection in 2021 AND more time for reading and listening and taking care of yourselves. Happy New Year! And thank you for listening.

Jen's 2020 Reading List

Middle Grade Books

Janet Tashjian: My Life As A Gamer. Square Fish. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed January 9, 2020. Read aloud to my daughter from library copy.Janet Tashjian: My Life As A Ninja. Square Fish. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed January 22, 2020. Read aloud to my daughter from library copy.Janet Tashjian: My Life As A Youtuber. Square Fish. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed February 5, 2020. Read aloud to my daughter from library copy.Janet Tashjian: My Life As A Meme. Square Fish. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed February 28, 2020. Read aloud to my daughter from library copy.Kenneth Oppel: Bloom (The Overthrow, Book 1). Knopf Books for Young Readers. Middle Grade Speculative Fiction. Completed March 8, 2020. Julia Nobel: The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane Sourcebooks. Middle Grade Mystery. Completed March 21, 2020, on Kindle.Chris Grabenstein: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library. Random House. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed April 11, 2020. Read aloud to my daughter.Amy McCulloch: Jinxed. Sourcebooks. Middle Grade Speculative Fiction. Completed May 9, 2020, on Kindle.Janet Tashjian: My Life As A Coder. Square Fish. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed May 13, 2020. Read aloud to my daughter.Lawrence Yep: The Earth Dragon Awakes. Harper Collins Children's Books. Middle Grade Historical Fiction. Completed May 14, 2020. Read aloud to my daughter for school.Julia Nobel: The Secret of White Stone Gate. Sourcebooks. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed June 6, 2020, on Kindle.Elizabeth Enright: Gone-Away Lake. HMH Books for Young Readers. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed June 8 2020, personal copy.Elizabeth Enright: Return to Gone-Away. HMH Books for Young Readers. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed June 11, 2020, personal copy.Kazu Kibuishi: Amulet (Book 1). Scholastic. Middle Grade Graphic Novel. Completed August 26, 2020, my daughter's personal copy.Kazu Kibuishi: Amulet (Book 2). Scholastic. Middle Grade Graphic Novel. Completed August 30, 2020, my daughter's personal copy.James Ponti: City Spies. Aladdin. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed September 18, 2020, my daughter's personal copy.James Ponti: Framed. Aladdin. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed September 26, 2020, on Kindle.James Ponti: Vanished (Book 2). Aladdin. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed September 27, 2020, on Kindle.James Ponti: Trapped (Book 3). Aladdin. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed October 6, 2020, on Kindle.Jennifer Chambliss Bertman: Book Scavenger. Square Fish. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed October 16, 2020, on Kindle.

Young Adult Books

Elizabeth Eulberg: Past Perfect Life. Bloomsbury YA. Young Adult Fiction. Completed January 7, 2020, personal copy.David Yoon: Frankly in Love. G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers. Young Adult Fiction. Completed January 16, 2020, on MP3.Adriana Mather: Killing November. Knopf Books for Young Readers. Young Adult Mystery/Thriller. Completed February 7, 2020, on Kindle.Maureen Johnson: The Hand on the Wall (Truly Devious, Book 3). Katherine Tegen Books. Young Adult Mystery. Completed February 20, 2020, on Kindle.Jennifer Lynn Barnes: Deadly Little Scandals (Debutantes, Book 2). Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Young Adult Mystery. Completed February 25, 2020, on Kindle.Karen McManus: One of Us Is Next (sequel to One Of Us Is Lying). Delacorte Press. Young Adult Mystery. Completed March 5, 2020, on Kindle.Rebecca Hanover: The Similars. Sourcebooks. Young Adult Speculative Fiction. Completed August 14, 2020.Rebecca Hanover: The Pretenders (Similars 2). Sourcebooks. Young Adult Speculative Fiction. Completed September 5, 2020.Jennifer Lynn Barnes: The Inheritance Games. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Young Adult Fiction. Completed September 10, 2020, on Kindle.Adriana Mather: Hunting November. Knopf Books for Young Readers. Young Adult Fiction. Completed September 27, 2020, on Kindle.John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle: Let It Snow. Young Adult Fiction. Speak. Completed December 20, 2020, on MP3.Karen McManus: The Cousins. Delacorte Press. Young Adult Mystery. Completed December 21, 2020, on Kindle.

Adult Books

Eve Rodsky: Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live). G.P. Putnam's Sons. Adult Nonfiction. Completed January 3, 2020, on Kindle.Janet Evanovich: Twisted Twenty-Six. G. P. Putnam's Sons. Adult Mystery. Completed January 3, 2020, on MP3.BJ Fogg: Tiny Habits: The Small Changes that Change Everything. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Adult Nonfiction. Completed January 22, 2020, on Kindle.Tom DeMarco + Tim Lister: Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams. Addison-Wesley. Adult Nonfiction. Completed January 25, 2020, personal copy.Michael McGarrity: Tularosa (Kevin Kerney, No. 1). W. W. Norton & Company. Adult Mystery. Completed February 8, 2020, on MP3. The fact that this series uses the same narrator as the Walt Longmire books bothered me at first, but I soon got past that.David L. Bahnsen: Elizabeth Warren: How Her Presidency Would Destroy the Middle Class and the American Dream. Post Hill Press. Adult Nonfiction. Completed February 13, 2020, on Kindle.Taylor Stevens: Liar's Paradox (Jack and Jill, Book 1). Pinnacle. Adult Thriller. Completed February 15, 2020, on Kindle.Michael McGarrity: Tularosa (Kevin Kerney, No. 2). W. W. Norton & Company. Adult Mystery. Completed March 1, 2020, on MP3.Michael McGarrity: Serpent's Gate (Kevin Kerney, No. 3). W. W. Norton & Company. Adult Mystery. Completed March 9, 2020, on MP3.Gytha Lodge: Watching from the Dark Random House. Adult Mystery. Completed March 14, 2020, on Kindle.P.J. Tracy: The Guilty Dead. Penguin Random House. Adult Mystery. Completed April 11, 2020, on Kindle.Suzanne Redfearn: In an Instant. Lake Union Publishing. Adult Fiction. Completed April 12, 2020, on Kindle and MP3.Julia Spencer-Fleming: Hid from Our Eyes (Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne). Minotaur Books. Adult Mystery. Completed April 19, 2020, on Kindle.sP.J. Tracy: Ice Cold Heart. Crooked Lane Books. Adult Mystery. Completed May 2, 2020, on Kindle.Michael McGarrity: Hermit's Peak (Kevin Kerney, No. 4). W. W. Norton & Company. Adult Mystery. Completed May 4, 2020, on MP3.Iona Whishaw: A Killer in King's Cove. Touchwood Editions. Adult Mystery. Completed May 16, 2020, on Kindle.Graham Norton: A Keeper. Atria Books. Adult Mystery. Completed May 18, 2020, on MP3.Michael McGarrity: The Judas Judge (Kevin Kerney, No. 5). W. W. Norton & Company. Adult Mystery. Completed May 4, 2020, on Kindle.Harlan Coben: The Boy from the Woods. Grand Central Publishing. Adult Mystery. Completed May 25, 2020, on MP3.Mark Greaney: The Gray Man (Court Gentry, Book 1). Berkley. Adult Thriller. Completed June 17, 2020, on MP3.Madeline Levine: Ready or Not: Preparing Our Kids to Thrive in an Uncertain and Rapidly Changing World. Harper. Adult Nonfiction. Completed June 4, 2020, on Kindle.Victoria Thompson: Murder on Pleasant Avenue (Gaslight Mysteries, No. 23). Penguin Group. Adult Mystery. Completed June 7, 2020, on MP3.D.E. Stevenson: Listening Valley. Sourcebooks. Adult Fiction. Completed June 20, 2020, personal copy.Iona Whishaw: Death in a Darkening Mist. Touchwood Editions. Adult Mystery. Completed July 3, 2020, on Kindle.Joy Ellis: Hidden on the Fens (Nikki Galena, No. 11). Joffe Books. Adult Mystery. Completed July 7, 2020, on MP3.Iona Whishaw: An Old, Cold Grave (Lane Winslow, No. 3). Touchwood Editions. Adult Mystery. Completed July 12, 2020, on Kindle.Iona Whishaw: It Begins in Betrayal (Lane Winslow, No. 4). Touchwood Editions. Adult Mystery. Completed July 21, 2020, on Kindle.Paul Doiron: One Last Lie (Mike Bowditch, No. 11). Minotaur Books. Adult Mystery. Completed July 21, 2020, on MP3.Iona Whishaw: A Sorrowful Sanctuary (Lane Winslow, No. 5). Touchwood Editions. Adult Mystery. Completed July 26, 2020, on Kindle.Iona Whishaw: A Deceptive Devotion (Lane Winslow, No. 6). Touchwood Editions. Adult Mystery. Completed August 2, 2020, on Kindle.Elly Griffiths: The Lantern Men. Recorded Books. Adult Mystery. Completed August 3, 2020, on MP3.sMichael McGarrity: The Big Gamble (Kevin Kerney, No. 7). W. W. Norton & Company. Adult Mystery. Completed August 24, 2020, on MP3.Jen Fulweiler: Your Blue Flame. ZOndervan. Adult Nonfiction. Completed August 28, 2020, on Kindle.Vivek Murthy: Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World. Harper Wave. Adult Nonfiction. Completed September 5, 2020, on Kindle. Keith McCafferty: The Royal Wulff Murders (Sean Stranahan, Book 1). Adult Mystery. Completed September 8, 2020, on MP3.sLouise Penny: All the Devils Are Here (Gamache, No. 16). Adult Mystery. Minotaur Books. Completed September 27, 2020, on MP3.Margaret Mizushima: Hanging Falls (Timber Creek K-9, Book 6). Adult Mystery. Completed October 7, 2020, on MP3.Tana French: The Searcher. Adult Mystery. Viking. Completed November 2, 2020, on MP3.D.E. Stevenson: Spring Magic. Adult Fiction. Dean Street Press. Completed November 8, 2020, on Kindle.Janet Evanovich: Fortune and Glory (Stephanie Plum, No. 27). Adult Fiction. Atria Books. Completed November 14, 2020, on MP3.Keith McCafferty: The Gray Ghost Murders (Sean Stranahan, No. 2). Adult Mystery. Penguin Books. Completed December 1, 2020, on MP3.Michael C. Grumley: The Last Monument. Adult Speculative Fiction. Audible. Completed December 31, 2020, on MP3.Kate Murphy: You're Not Listening: What You're Missing and Why It Matters. Adult Nonfiction. Celadon Books. Completed December 31, 2020, on Kindle.

Posted at 05:00 PM in Connecting, My Reading Lists, Newsletter, Personal | Permalink | Comments (7)

Bookworm Moments: Needing the School Library

July 15, 2020

My family was having a discussion about the (still undecided) question of whether my daughter's school would re-open for in-person learning in the fall. We agreed that a benefit of in-person schooling would be (I think?) access to the school library. My daughter sighed a bit over her months-long separation from the library and said:

"I need the library because I'm out of call-out books."

My husband was perplexed by this term, but I was not. My daughter was referring to the books that "call out" to her from the shelf. She is a big believer in this method of finding her next read. [Yes, she does judge books by their cover.] That's how she found her all-time favorite books to date: The Candymakers series by Wendy Mass. That's why she started Chris Colfer's Land of Stories series with Book 3. That's the one that called out the loudest (though a recommendation from a friend who was with her helped, too, in that case).

I should add that we have a LOT of middle grade books in our house, between my own collection, the books that I've received over the years for potential review, the books that I've purchased, and hand-me-downs from friends and neighbors. My daughter is incredibly lucky, and she knows this. But I'm not trained in organizing libraries. Our books aren't curated and organized the way the ones in the library are. Our books aren't all in one room, on shelves at kid-friendly heights. Though she does find books to read at home, she's right to miss browsing the school library for the "call out" books.

I miss my own elementary school library, truth be told. I went through there shelf by shelf, and can still place individual authors on the right shelves in my mind. [That's me in one of my school photos that was taken in the library.] I'm sure I found many "call out" books there. I adored Mrs. Tuttle, the librarian.

My daughter is very clear on her need for reading choice, and her own preferred methods for implementing that. I hope that she'll be able to be back in the library soon. Her preference is for her own beloved school library, but she'll take the public library as a substitute, if/when that's available. She needs those "call out" books, wherever she can find them.

Posted at 07:41 AM in Bookworm Moments, Newsletter | Permalink | Comments (5)

Bookworm Moments: "There are other books I want to read MORE"

July 13, 2020

I haven't been blogging much of late, but my daughter (now 10) has continued in her development as a reader. Today I share a small moment that may resonate with fellow book-lovers.

My friend Jennifer Wharton at Jean Little Library recently recommended a book that I thought my daughter might enjoy: The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi. Discovering that it was available in paperback, I decided to order a copy. I gave it to my daughter and told her why I had thought she might like it (including a mention of Jennifer's recommendation). She picked it up and gave it a careful look. Then, struggling a bit with how to put it, she said:

"This does look like a book that I would like to read. It's just that ... there are other books I want to read MORE."

That about sums it up, doesn't it? We readers always have lots of books that we think we'll like. But usually (hopefully) there are a few that fall into the "I want to read this one MORE" category. In my daughter's case, the "books I want to read MORE" category right now includes re-reads of her three favorite books from Suzanne Nelson's Wish series (Donut Go Breaking My Heart, etc.). She's also planning a re-read of Wendy Mass' Willow Falls series, after JUST finishing book 5 (Graceful).

This is what reading choice looks like, my friends. Part of how we grow as readers is figuring out which books are the ones we will most enjoy reading (or re-reading) at any given time.

I've said this many times but will repeat it once more for the record. If you want your kids to enjoy reading, let them read what they like. Even if you just bought them a new book. Even if (especially if) it's their third or fourth re-read of the same book. Let them choose. Then give them some quiet space and let them read.

Maybe I'll read The Gauntlet myself. You know, if there aren't other books that I want to read more.

Posted at 07:56 AM in Bookworm Moments, Newsletter | Permalink | Comments (4)

Links I Shared on Twitter Recently: July 11: #SummerReading, #GrowingBookworms, + #SchoolReopening Questions

July 11, 2020

Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter over the past 3 weeks @JensBookPage. Topics include #BookLists, #coronavirus, #DistanceLearning, #FreeSpeech, #GraphicNovels, #Homeschool, #HybridLearning, #JoshFunk, #JoyOfReading, #literacy, #MentalHealth, #play, #ReadingChoice, #SchoolReopening, #SummerReading, #VirtualLearning, reading, and schools. Hope you find some useful tidbits!

Top Tweet of the Month

It's time for adults to Rewrite the arbitrary Rules of #Reading they impose on kids, says @citecitebaby @nerdybookclub ow.ly/Egyl30qU4am | #ReadingChoice #GraphicNovels #BookAbandonment + more

Book Lists + Summer Reading

#SummerReading 2020: A Collection of #KidLit Links from @clssrmbkshlf @ErikaDawes ow.ly/tWQC30qT2ee | 20+ #BookLists + Publisher Summer #Reading Initiatives

NPR #SummerReader Poll 2020: Nominate Your Favorite Books for Young Kids : @petramatic @NPR ow.ly/HHGX30qT2KT #PictureBooks #EarlyReaders

Themed #SummerReading #BookLists for kids seem like a good way to go to me. Here are 20 Titles for Young Gamers from @literacious ow.ly/qKVY30qT2l6 #kidlit #GraphicNovels #MGLit

Continuing her themed #SummerReading #BookLists, @literacious shares 20 Titles for Young Outdoor Enthusiasts ow.ly/qgUX30qT2nl #OutdoorPlay #MGLit

Free Speech

A Letter on Justice and Open Debate (from various authors, scholars, historians + activists) | @Harpers ow.ly/Zr8v30qX1MJ | I, too, am concerned we have weakened "our norms of #OpenDebate and toleration of differences in favor of ideological conformity" | #FreeSpeech

Growing Bookworms

When Is #Reading Season? asks @RaisingReal @nerdybookclub ow.ly/mnO130qSmvT | "Please consider treating reading habits like you would a sport." #ReadingChoice + time + celebration of milestones

Just Read This: #Literacy + #Reading News: June 2020 ow.ly/RkEW30qXl1I Fighting #SummerSlide, #ScreenFree activities, #DigitalLearning activities + bookish getaways from @TheReadingTub

On Reading, Writing, Blogging, and Publishing

A response to my recent piece from @gail_gauthier | "Gone-Away Lake" And Books As Places To Escape To ow.ly/P41w30qT6u7 | She wonders how 21st century kids new to the book would feel about it. My daughter was, sadly, meh on it. But that doesn't diminish my #BookLove

Tune Into Funk & Friends! New “ #KidLit Late Night Show” hosted by author @joshfunkbooks | guests inc. @Jess_Keating + @kmoorebooks ow.ly/ef4u30qXJIu

When family + literary values collide. @KMcCaughrain is shocked to learn of family members who never read prologues ow.ly/VcOh30qXJJK | #reading @AwfullyBigBlog

Parenting + Play

At @TheReadingTub, Terry is going #OldSchool with a #CovidSummer Activities Series. In Part 1 she proposes the Family #ObstacleCourse ow.ly/h5Ps30qSHRS #Play

Schools and Libraries

But How Do We Build Community w/ Students? Ideas for #VirtualLearning + #HybridLearning @pernilleripp ow.ly/zxxJ30qXJUE | yard visits, welcome videos, postcards + more

What American Families Experienced When #Covid19 Closed Their #Schools - @EducationNext survey results ow.ly/Bwuv30qX1ew | Parents (+ espec. teachers) report less #learning w/ #DistanceLearning vs. in class, but parents relatively satisfied anyway

U.S. Pediatricians Call For In-Person #School This Fall - @anya1anya @MindShiftKQED ow.ly/nasI30qWplC @AmerAcadPeds : "schools are fundamental to child and adolescent development and well-being" | #MentalHealth #DistanceLearning

#ReopeningSchools—Insights from Denmark and Finland ow.ly/jvUK30qXl0g | Staggered reopenings, staggered arrival times, hotlines, handwashing + more @EmiVegasV @BrookingsInst #schools

#SchoolOpenings across globe suggest ways to keep #coronavirus at bay, despite outbreaks | @GretchenVogel1 @NewsfromScience @ScienceMagazine ow.ly/P5zl30qX1wK | More/better research needed on various strategies

5 Radical Schooling Ideas For An Uncertain Fall And Beyond - @anya1anya @MindShiftKQED ow.ly/z2gA30qSmBq | Support for families + teens, individualized #learning, #homeschool co-ops + more

An encouraging article re: #Coronavirus: Kids less likely to get infected, spread to others ow.ly/2YbD30qXFWx "school-based transmission could be a manageable problem ... elementary school aged-children ... appear to be at the lowest risk of infection" @mercnews

Posted at 01:17 PM in Newsletter, Twitter Links | Permalink | Comments (0)

Growing Bookworms Newsletter: Catch-Up Edition

June 20, 2020

Today, I will (finally) be sending out a new issue of the Growing Bookworms email newsletter. (If you would like to subscribe, you can find a sign-up form here.) The Growing Bookworms newsletter contains content from my blog focused on growing joyful learners, especially bookworms.

The newsletter is normally sent out about once a month, depending on how frequently I'm able to post on my blog. However, during the COVID-19 lockdown I've found my time for blogging to be severely limited. I always work full-time from home (in a job unrelated to the blog), but doing that with my 10-year-old daughter here has been more challenging. Now that she's done with distance learning for 4th grade, I find myself with a bit more time for blogging. I'm not sure what my motivation level will be going forward, but I'm here today. I hope that all of you where are reading this are safe and well and finding plenty to read during your unprecedented time at home.

Newsletter Update: I'll be including one post rounding up my Twitter links for the past month or so. You can find others on my blog if you are so inclined. I also have a Bookworm Moments post about a book-inspired declaration that I am the best mommy in the world, and a post about the joy of re-reading a favorite childhood book series. I had only one other post since the last newsletter (besides the links), about home learning in the very early stages of the shutdown. I find it's a bit dated, so I'm not including it in the newsletter.

Reading Update: I wasn't reading much early on in the shutdown. I had trouble concentrating (as others reported), and had no appetite for things that were bleak. While my concentration has improved, my reading preference has leaned toward lighter fare. Lately I've been re-reading some old favorites, and I expect that to continue. Overall I read eight middle grade and 14 adult books. I read/listened to:

Julia Nobel: The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane Sourcebooks. Middle Grade Mystery. Completed March 21, 2020, on Kindle.Chris Grabenstein: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library. Random House. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed April 11, 2020. Read aloud to my daughter.Amy McCulloch: Jinxed. Sourcebooks. Middle Grade Speculative Fiction. Completed May 9, 2020, on Kindle.Janet Tashjian: My Life As A Coder. Square Fish. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed May 13, 2020. Read aloud to my daughter.Lawrence Yep: The Earth Dragon Awakes. Harper Collins Children's Books. Middle Grade Historical Fiction. Completed May 14, 2020. Read aloud to my daughter for school.Julia Nobel: The Secret of White Stone Gate. Sourcebooks. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed June 6, 2020, on Kindle.Elizabeth Enright: Gone-Away Lake. HMH Books for Young Readers. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed June 8 2020, personal copy.Elizabeth Enright: Return to Gone-Away. HMH Books for Young Readers. Middle Grade Fiction. Completed June 11, 2020, personal copy.Gytha Lodge: Watching from the Dark Random House. Adult Mystery. Completed March 14, 2020, on Kindle.P.J. Tracy: The Guilty Dead. Penguin Random House. Adult Mystery. Completed April 11, 2020, on Kindle.Suzanne Redfearn: In an Instant. Lake Union Publishing. Adult Fiction. Completed April 12, 2020, on Kindle and MP3. Julia Spencer-Fleming: Hid from Our Eyes (Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne). Minotaur Books. Adult Mystery. Completed April 19, 2020, on Kindle.sP.J. Tracy: Ice Cold Heart. Crooked Lane Books. Adult Mystery. Completed May 2, 2020, on Kindle.Michael McGarrity: Hermit's Peak (Kevin Kerney, No. 4). W. W. Norton & Company. Adult Mystery. Completed May 4, 2020, on MP3.Iona Whishaw: A Killer in King's Cove. Touchwood Editions. Adult Mystery. Completed May 16, 2020, on Kindle.Graham Norton: A Keeper. Atria Books. Adult Mystery. Completed May 18, 2020, on MP3.Michael McGarrity: The Judas Judge (Kevin Kerney, No. 5). W. W. Norton & Company. Adult Mystery. Completed May 4, 2020, on Kindle.Harlan Coben: The Boy from the Woods. Grand Central Publishing. Adult Mystery. Completed May 25, 2020, on MP3.Mark Greaney: The Gray Man (Court Gentry, Book 1). Berkley. Adult Thriller. Completed June 17, 2020, on MP3.Madeline Levine: Ready or Not: Preparing Our Kids to Thrive in an Uncertain and Rapidly Changing World. Harper. Adult Nonfiction. Completed June 4, 2020, on Kindle.Victoria Thompson: Murder on Pleasant Avenue (Gaslight Mysteries, No. 23). Penguin Group. Adult Mystery. Completed June 7, 2020, on MP3.D.E. Stevenson: Listening Valley. Sourcebooks. Adult Fiction. Completed June 20, 2020, personal copy.

I read Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library aloud to my daughter early on during the lockdown, and also read aloud one of the books that she was assigned for school. It turned out that reading about the San Francisco earthquake during a time of personal anxiety was a challenge. The only way I could get her to read The Earth Dragon Awakes was to read it to her. We also read the newly published book in the My Life series, My Life as a Coder. I tried to read How to Capture an Invisible Cat by Paul Tobin to her. It was a book that I had really enjoyed a few years earlier (my review was even blurbed in the paperback copy), but we ended up stopping half-way through as she lost interest. I also tried to read Gone-Away Lake aloud to her, but (sigh) she wasn't interested. We are currently between reads together, but I'm sure we'll find another one soon. My husband just started reading her The Hobbit, and I hope that one takes.

On her own she's been reading and re-reading the Land of Stories books by Chris Colfer, the Candymakers books by Wendy Mass, and a variety of Scholastic Wish novels, mostly the ones by Suzanne Nelson. She continues to re-read graphic and notebook novels, mostly while she's doing something else (eating, riding in the car, etc.). She's in need of her next big series, but hasn't found it yet, despite my best efforts. She misses being able to browse in her school library and pick things out for herself. The stacks of books that I hopefully pull from the stacks for her lie mostly unread. That's reading choice for you! I'm sure she'll find her next thing soon. I've been very grateful during this time that she enjoys reading. You can find her list of reads for the year here.

That's all I have time for today. I wish you all well and hope to be back soon. Thanks for reading, and for growing bookworms!

Posted at 08:14 AM in Newsletter | Permalink | Comments (2)

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My Book Lists

2015 #BookADay SelectionsBaby Bookworm's 2011 Reads: Q1Baby Bookworm's 2011 Reads: Q2Baby Bookworm's 2011 Reads: Q3Baby Bookworm's 2011 Reads: Q4Baby Bookworm's 2012 Reads: Q1Baby Bookworm's 2012 Reads: Q2Baby Bookworm's 2012 Reads: Q3Baby Bookworm's 2014 ReadsBaby Bookworm's 2015 ReadsBaby Bookworm's 2016 ReadsBaby Bookworm's 2017 ReadsBaby Bookworm's 2018 Reads: Part 1Baby Bookworm's 2018 Reads: Part 2Baby Bookworm's 2019 ReadsBaby Bookworm's 2020 ReadsBooks About Books and LiteracyBooks Read in 2006Books Read in 2007Books Read in 2008Books Read in 2009Books Read in 2010Books Read in 2011Books Read in 2012Books Read in 2013Books Read in 2014Books Read in 2015Books Read in 2016Books Read in 2017Books Read in 2018Books Read in 2019Books Read in 2020Books Read in 2021Cool Girls of Children's LiteratureFuturistic, Speculative, Science Fiction and Dystopian Fiction for Young AdultsIndex of My ReviewsMy Personal Classic BooksMy Review PolicyPrivacy PolicyRecommended Adult Books (Mostly Mysteries)Recommended Children's Books by Age Range

Some Favorite Posts

My Ninja Child: Or, Why Kids Should Pursue the Activities that Bring them Joy
Encouraging Your Child to Like Math: Why and How
Growing Joyful Learners
On the Importance of Creative Play
Tips for Growing Bookworms: Series Recap
Giving the Gift of Literacy to New Parents
Personal News: Growing Our Own Bookworm
Outdoor Reading
How Can We Encourage Reading Aloud?
Five Favorite Fictional Rooms from Children's Literature
My Favorite Book
My 6 P's of Book Appreciation
Helping Kids Learn to Enjoy Reading
Rick Riordan Interview for WBBT
Jim Trelease Talk: My Notes
200 Cool Girls from Children's Literature
175 Cool Boys from Children's Literature
Read the Books that Your Children Read
My Personal Classic Books
My Mission Statement: Children Who Love Books
25 Children's Books (and Series) that Adults Will Enjoy
Why You Should Read Children's Books as an Adult

My Recent Reads

Osman, Richard: The Bullet That Missed: A Thursday Murder Club Mystery

Maitland, Barry: The Russian Wife (Brock and Kolla Book 14)

McManus, Karen M.: Nothing More to Tell

Holmes, Cassie: Happier Hour: How to Beat Distraction, Expand Your Time, and Focus on What Matters Most

My Daughter's 2020 Reads

Meyerhoff, Jenny: Playing Cupid: A Wish Novel

Eulberg, Elizabeth: Better Off Friends

Nelson, Suzanne: Donut Go Breaking My Heart: A Wish Novel

Nelson, Suzanne: Cake Pop Crush: A Wish Novel

Nelson, Suzanne: You're Bacon Me Crazy: A Wish Novel

Sell, Chad: Doodleville

Nelson, Suzanne: Hot Cocoa Hearts: A Wish Novel

Morrison, Megan: Grounded: The Adventures of Rapunzel (Tyme)

Eliopoulos, Christopher: Cosmic Commandos

Colfer, Chris: A Tale of Magic...

Nelson, Suzanne: Shake it Off: A Wish Novel

Mass, Wendy: 11 Birthdays: A Wish Novel

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