#IMWAYR – May 31, 2016

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date, and adapted by Kellee at Unleashing Readers and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts with a children’s/YA focus. This weekly roundup is a great way to discover new blogs and bloggers, share recommended (or not so recommended….) titles, and add to your ever-growing to-read list.

Carnivores

Have you seen Finding Nemo? Do you remember Bruce the shark and his “fish are friends, not food” motto? This darkly hilarious story from Aaron Reynolds and Dan Santat is reminiscent of that reluctant carnivore – three apex predators are secretly hurt by their reputations as mindless eating machines, and seek to change their ways and their relationships with their fellow animals. This story will likely appeal to a certain sort of sense of humour, it’s a little  bit twisted, but in a very funny way. And Dan Santat’s illustrations steal the show, as usual.

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick

Teachers/librarians looking to inspire budding writers really ought to have a copy of this elegant and evocative picture book in their arsenal. It truly is fantastic. The premise is ingenious – a mysterious man named Harris Burdick visited a publisher to show him samples of his work. He claimed to have written 14 stories, and brought with him a single illustration and quotation from each story. The publisher was impressed, but when he tried to contact Harris Burdick, he discovered that the man had vanished without a trace, leaving only the mysterious images behind.

This collection of illustrations and quotations, rendered in Van Allsburg’s signature shades of grey, would be an inspiring writing prompt for writers young and old.

Posy

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love cats. The only thing standing between me and full-blown cat lady status is my ridiculous cat allergy. So, a picture book about a kitten already is already right up my alley.

This picture book is adorable. I am pretty picky when it comes to rhymes, and I really enjoyed Linda Newbery’s bouncing, joyful text. The earth-toned illustrations are unique and completely enchanting, and anyone who has ever had a kitten will be able to relate to Posy’s charming exploits. A very sweet and endearing rhyming picture book.

The Song of Achilles

I picked up this book on a whim, drawn to its striking cover, and I am so very glad I did. This beautiful retelling of Homer’s classic epic poem, The Odyssey is stunning. I devoured it in record time, reluctant to put it down and be parted from it. Madeline Miller is a master storyteller. The text is lush, lyrical, and completely absorbing, and the tragic, all-consuming love story she has created is one for the ages. There is some adult content, including some scenes of violence (this is the story of the destruction of Troy after all), so do bear that in mind, but I cannot recommend this novel enough.

Have a great reading week, everybody!