It's Monday! What are you reading?

Last week, I promised some picture book reviews...here they are!  I grabbed these from my office when I went to school for my thirty-minute-supply-run last week.   They were pulled from the book fair for our library collection; thank you again for shopping our fair and providing these books!

David Shannon is a favorite author-illustrator in our library, so I had to get a copy of Roy Digs Dirt.

You can tell from the cover that Roy the dog really likes to dig in the dirt.  He buries things, and digs up things, and protects his dirt from other creatures.  My favorite page in the book is the funny, Picasso-esque portrait of Roy feeling handsome in his dirtiness.  Grownups may have to explain the alternate use of the word "dig" in this story, as in "Can you dig it?"  Roy certainly can!

Peter H. Reynolds' Be You is an affirming read-aloud, perfect for these days when we have more time to stop and think about who we truly are.

This may look like a cute picture book for the younger set, but the vocabulary and ideas are high-level.  With kindergarteners and first graders, I might just read the "be" statements and ask them what they think it means to be curious, adventurous, kind, different.  In second grade through high school (yes, high school!), I would almost use a spread or two per day as community circle or writing prompts.  Reynolds' pictures are colorful, his words uplifting; I'm happy to add this to our library collection.

It's Monday!  What are you reading that makes you laugh and lifts your spirits today?