Friday Five

 

In less than a week we are leaving for a holiday trip to Barcelona to see Middle Sister who is finishing up a semester studying abroad.  I've been thinking about what I should pack to wear, but also what I can pack to read.  I'll need to do most of my reading on my kindle, but I'm still hoping to bring a book or two along.  

I've got plenty of things I am still finding online to fall in love with. Here are this week's picks: 

1.  Oversize Knit Pinchita Cardigan

2.  Listicle Floral Embroidered Cable Knit Sweater

3.  Blythe Tunic

4.  Apres Sweater

5.  See Me Softspun Cardigan

6.  Cashmere Crewneck Sweatshirt in Stripe

7.  Cable Knit Collared Cardigan

8.  Opal Rollneck Knit Sweater

9.  Pave Horseshoe Hoop Earrings

10.  Christmas Card 2025 from The Wales' Family

That's it for me this week.  What's caught your eye?

Middle Grade Reading

I've been so lazy about blogging about the childrens/MG/YA lit I've read for quite a long time now.  But I am still reading some really good books. 

And I'm still finding plenty of books to recommend to my students.

And, I'm even reading books that aren't the genres I tend to gravitate toward.

 

The Last Dragon on Mars by Scott Rentgen is a fantasy novel that I loved.  I few through this one. Lunar is a boy who was born on Mars back when Earth wanted to create a community there. However, resources are scarce and the dragons who inhabited space have fought over the planets. Earth's dragon sacrificed herself in order to make Earth habitable to humans, and now there is a group of people on Mars who are hoping that the creation of a dragon might save their planet.

This one is fast paced and suspenseful and for someone like me who doesn't read fantasy very often, it was really, really good.  The second in this series is already out and I'm taking it home over Christmas break to devour.

Codebreaker by Jay Martel is a book that would make a perfect movie.  This is an action packed story with chapters that end on cliffhangers.  

Mia is a normal high school girl who is looking at colleges, when armed government agents swarm her house while she and her parents are at home.  They believe her father has something they want, and before the day is over her mother is dead and her father is on the run, a fugitive from justice.  

As the story unfolds there are more twists and turns and secrets that Mia uncovers as she tries to figure out what happened to her dad.  

This book is full of secret codes as Mia's dad tries to communicate with his daughter who he has shared various codebreaking tips with.  

I've got a pile (or two or three) of various middle grade and YA books I'd like to get to over break.  There is always plenty for me to read!

Waiting on Wednesday: Wait For Me

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature where I highlight a soon to be released novel I can't wait to read.

This week's pick: Wait For Me by Amy Jo Burns

Due out: March 3, 2026

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

From the author of Mercury and Shiner comes a novel about the bond between two female folk singers, the love stories that haunt them, and the music that brings them together to burn bright.

Young folk singer Elle Harlow reaches the height of her prowess in 1973, with two wildly beloved albums to her name and a hidden history of impossible heartbreak. When she sets foot on the famed Grand Ole Opry stage, a far cry from the mountain that raised her, Elle gives the biggest performance of her life. Then, to the dismay of shocked fans, her producer, and the man who still loves her, she vanishes.

Almost two decades later, eighteen-year-old Marijohn Shaw is spending her summer pumping gas, writing songs on her broken mandolin, and longing for a mother. Her father, Abe, has always sworn he was the last person to see Elle Harlow alive, but when a meteor strikes the woods of their sleepy Pennsylvania town and a piece of Elle’s past emerges from the wreckage, the truth of her disappearance sets fire to everything Marijohn believes about herself, her music, and her ability to love with abandon.

Wait for Me exalts the lush hills of Appalachia and the bright lights of Nashville as it reveals the legacy of Elle Harlow, the bold voice that defined her, the intimate betrayal that undid her, and the unexpected faith of another young woman determined to resurrect her.

NonFiction TBR: On This Ground

 

The number of nonfiction books I have on my TBR just continues to grow. I've already added several 2026 releases to my expanding list.  This one comes out in February, and I'll be getting it as soon as it's released.

On This Ground: Hardship and Hope at the Toughest Prep School in America by Anthony De Palma

Due out February 6, 2026

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

The remarkable story of hope, determination, and resilience at a celebrated school in Newark, New Jersey, the students who thrive there, and a community that refused to let its children’s education become a casualty of a growing racial divide.

In 1967, as the city of Newark, New Jersey, was engulfed by civil unrest after the beating of a Black cab driver by white police officers, the monks of Newark Abbey stood on the roof of the monastery and watched their city burn. In the years that followed, as crushing poverty and racial tensions in the city worsened, some of the monks voted to leave—and St. Benedict’s Prep, the school they had run for over a century, was forced to close its doors.

On This Ground is the story of the monks who voted to stay put, who would soon reopen St. Benedict’s and devote their lives to educating the students who had become their neighbors. But it’s also the inspiring story of its students—many of whom have experienced tremendous tragedy and trauma—who show up every day and form the beating heart of the school, which is now widely considered one of the most successful inner-city educational movements in the country.

In a warm, reverent voice, veteran New York Times reporter and New Jersey native Anthony DePalma takes us through St. Benedict’s hallways, classrooms, and the streets of the complicated city of Newark to illuminate the astonishing ability to alter your own destiny, and how ultimately triumphant life can be, despite the trials, when leaders keep their promises and kids who are usually rejected are given the love they deserve.

Monday Mini-Reviews: Reading About Running

 

I have read a lot of running books over the past several years.  I've never considered myself a runner, although I do run (not very fast) on the treadmill. My daughters, however, are runners.  And after watching a decade of high school cross country meets, and then college cross country meets for five years and counting, I feel like I've got a pretty good understanding of how the sport works.  

We Loved To Run by Stephanie Reents is set in 1992 featuring a womens Division III cross country team.  I went to a small liberal arts college that was DIII and had a lot of XC running friends.  So I'll just say that this one rang all the bells.  

This is told from the perspectives of the six varsity runners, and each has their own struggles to contend with.  But they also want to win the New England Division Three College Championship. So despite the fact that they compete against each other in every meet, they also are a team that needs to work together. 

This book captures the mental aspect of running - the skipped meals, the brutal training, the disregard for pain or injury, the need to be the best that runners face. 

I loved this one.

And then, I happened to pick up a middle grade book that's also about running.

R. L. Toalson's The Unforgettable Leta "Lightning" Laurel covers a lot of ground about being a middle school girl: changing friendships and a changing body.  But Leta is also dealing with her dad's abrupt departure and trying to figure out what she can do to make him come back to their family.  Leta's a talented runner and she's decided that if she can win a big race, her dad will want to be in their lives again.

Leta has put a lot of pressure on herself, and despite being told to take recovery days, she can't.  So when her foot starts to hurt, Leta ignores the pain until she can't ignore it any more.

Toalson gives good information on running - and how it is different for girls.  She has her character experience injury and rehab (unfortunately I know this scenario from my youngest daughter), and she covers the mental aspect of running as well.  

This book is so well done.  There's plenty in there for non-runners to enjoy, but I wish this one had been published when my girls were in junior high so they would have had it to read.

Friday Five: Countdown to Christmas

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around these parts.  Last week we ended up with 14" of snow, and we are scheduled for more this weekend.  We've been spoiled the last few years with more mild winters, and I'm already sick of the cold and the snow mess that winter brings.  

I am finding so many great deals on things I am loving.  I love thick winter sweaters and cozy clothes and right now there is plenty of that to choose from.  We're heading to Barcelona over Christmas since Middle Sister is wrapping up a semester abroad and will be returning home with us.  I'm excited for the trip which is quickly approaching, and have beent starting to think about how I can bring a minimal amount of clothing with me in case I might purchase a few things while I'm there.

Here's what has caught my eye this week:

 

1.  Maria Fair Isle Cardigan

2.  Weekend Collection Mixed Stitch Sweater

3.  Ollie Varsity Vest

4.  Crew Shimmer Huggies

5.  Short Sleeve Jacquard Knit Sweater

6.  Quilted Popover

8.   Advent Calendar Christmas Sweater

9.  Sequin Bow Back Mini Dress

10.  The Wales' at Christmas

That's it for me this week. What's caught your eye?

Read Alouds on Repeat

 This year I'm back at the elementary level for my job (a district "restructuring" eleminated 11 of 15 librarians, and the four of us remaining now each have four buildings with only partial para coverage. I'll try to keep by negative thoughts to a minimum). I've been in the middle school for nearly a decade, and while it was time for a change then, there are some things I still miss about the elementary kids.  

One of them is read alouds.  There is nothing like getting a group of kids engaged in a read aloud. I love that a read aloud is abe to calm the class down, the discussions you can have while reading, and the way you can see an entire class rapt with attention as they sit on the carpet while you share a good book.

This fall I've been reading a lot of picture books as book orders arrive at school, and there are a several books that I've had on repeat.

This isn't really a Halloween book, but Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe is the book I read to classes from Kindergarten through fifth grade as I introduced myself to new groups of students.  Spare text makes this a quick read, but students quickly became engaged because they realized they needed to pay attention to the illustrations.  Aggie's ghost doesn't follow the rules, and she'd like him to leave her alone.  This isn't as easy as it may seem as the ghost has ideas of his own.  Older students could discuss "reverse psychology" when the ghost seemed to do the opposite of what it was supposed to, and also the idea of "frenemies."  

Typically I would teach/recite nursery rhymes with kindergarteners in the fall.  I was initially surprised that they rarely knew any nursery rhymes.  And, now nine years later, they still know almost none.  (There is research out there that shows that knowing nursery rhymes is a pre-reading skill and helps kids learn to read). I have read this book to upper elementary students after we do a quick review/introduction to a few nursery rhymes (Jack and Jill, Humpty Dumpty, Hickory Dickory Dock, etc) and they are able to participate in the read aloud by happily shouting, "Pop! Goes the nursery rhyme!" repeatedly.  I love a good rhyming book and this one is a delight.

If you're looking for something a little more serious, The Library In the Woods by Calvin Alexander Ramsey is a historical fiction picture book.  Calvin recalls his childhood when his family moved from their farm to town.  Although Calvin knew about libraries, he knew as a black boy he was not allowed to check out books.  However, his friend introduced him to a library in the woods close to where they lived. This building housed more books than Calvin had ever seen and was open to the black community.  There Calvin was able to check out books; I love how this story shows how important reading and books were to him.  And although kids don't often read the notes at a book's end, we did make sure to look at the photograph of the actual library in the woods.

I have several other stacks on my desk waiting for me to read them.  I am already anticipating what other enjoyable stories I can share with my students. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Meet The Newmans

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature where I highlight a soon to be released novel I can't wait to read.

This week's selection is Meet The Newmans by Jennifer Niven

Due out January 6, 2026

Synopsis taken from Amazon:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Niven, a novel about America’s favorite TV family, whose perfect façade cracks, for fans of Lessons in Chemistry and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

For two decades, Del and Dinah Newman and their sons, Guy and Shep, have ruled television as America’s Favorite Family. Millions of viewers tune in every week to watch them play flawless, black-and-white versions of themselves. But now it’s 1964, and the Newmans’ idealized apple-pie perfection suddenly feels woefully out of touch. Ratings are in free fall, as are the Newmans themselves. Del is keeping an explosive secret from his wife, and Dinah is slowly going numb―literally. Steady, stable Guy is hiding the truth about his love life, and the charmed luck of rock ‘n roll idol Shep may have finally run out.

When Del―the creative motor behind the show―is in a mysterious car accident, Dinah decides to take matters into her own hands. She hires Juliet Dunne, an outspoken, impassioned young reporter, to help her write the final episode. But Dinah and Juliet have wildly different perspectives about what it means to be a woman, and a family, in 1964. Can the Newmans hold it together to change television history? Or will they be canceled before they ever have the chance?

Funny, big-hearted, and deeply moving, Meet the Newmans is a rich family story about the dual lives we lead. Because even when our lives aren’t televised weekly, we all have a behind-the-scenes.

Non Fiction Tuesday: Family of Spies

I love nonfiction November, and yet, I failed miserably at participating this year.  I'm still reading a lot of nonfiction, but the TBR piles just keep growing. There are really great books being written and published and I am curious about so many things.  

 

I ordered Family of Spies: A World War II Story of Nazi Espionage, Betrayal and the Secret History Behind Pearl Harbor has been on my radar for a while.  This is a totally different WWII story than any other I've ever read.

In the mid-90s Christine Kuehn receives a letter in the mail from a man wanting to write about Kuehn's grandfather and his role as a Nazi spy during WWII, assisting in the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  Kuehn's father had revealed very little about his childhood or family, always changing the subject or deflecting questions that might be asked.  But when she tells her husband about the letter, he reassures her by pointing out that there are other people who also share the same last name with her family.

However, when Christine and her husband visit Borders bookstore and begin to look through the index in WWII books, they see Christine's grandfather's name listed repeatedly. Her dad's family worked for the Nazis, providing information critical the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Thirty years have passed since Kuehn was first made aware of her family history.  This book is part memoir as she deals with this revelation, and part history of what unfolded that led Otto Kuehn, his wife, and children to make the decisions they did.  

I loved this book. I could barely put it down once I began reading, and have told anyone who will listen that they should add it to their TBR.  Anyone interested in WWII or history in general will enjoy this one.

Monday Mini-Reviews: The End of 2005 Is Rapidly Approaching

 When 2025 began I was reading up a storm. Not just average books, either, but really good books.  I felt like I could have my best reading year ever - and then school/job stuff started to happen.  And I could barely pay attention to reading. Summer reading was good again, but once school started in the fall, things went downhill.  The workload has increased and the frustrations have increased as well. At this point I'm just grateful I've been able to read at all. This won't be a record breaking year of reading.  

But I plan on spending the last month of 2025 reading as much as I can of whatever I want.  

Julia Spencer Fleming's Clare Ferguson/Russ Van Alstyne series may be my favorite mystery series of all time.  I have loved the collection of characters who live in Millers Kill since the very first book.  After a few years off since the last book, I have been anxiously waiting to get my hands on this installment.  Number ten in this series didn't disappoint as a white supremacist group has plans for an attack during the holiday season and Kevin Flynn has disappeared causing everyone who knows him to become concerned about what might have happened to him.  My only regret is that I am now waiting once again for a new book by Fleming.  

Grace and Henry's Holiday Movie Marathon is everywhere on Instagram right now.  I picked this one up last weekend and absolutely loved it.  Grace and Henry have both lost their spouses: Grace's husband died of cancer, while Henry's wife died in a plane crash.  Both are grieving their losses, and when their mothers set them up, they aren't interested in anything romantic, but realize they might be able to help each other through the grieving process.  Henry helps catch mice in Grace's house and gives her son pointers for an art contest he is entering.  The two find themselves spending time together watching a variety of holiday themed movies, and as time passes, a solid friendship (maybe more?) develops.  This is a totally clean rom-com that hit all the right notes for me.  Although it is perfect for this holiday season, I'm a firm believer that you can read a Christmas themed book any time of the year.