May Reads

As the month of May ends today, I wanted to highlight the books I read this month. I had a variety of titles that I really enjoyed!

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver...I've meant to read this book for years. A colleague, Robin, highly recommended it to me recently so I plunged into the novel. It was slow going at first but then I could not put it down. I learned so much about the Congo, a missionary way of life, and so many other topics. It was a great read that took me out of my comfort zone.

Hannah's List by Debbie Macomber...After The Poisonwood Bible, I needed a "cozy read", something where I wouldn't have to think too hard! This novel (part of the Blossom Street series) was an enjoyable  book that I finished quickly.

The Last Time I Saw You by Elizabeth Berg...Berg is one of my all time favorite authors. I love anticipating her next release. This novel centered around several people attending their 40th high school reunion.  I can honestly say it is one of my least favorite novels by Berg and a big disappointment to me. Maybe it is because I am planning on attending my 30th high school reunion this summer. I'd like to think that my classmates and I are not going to be nearly as shallow as these characters. Perhaps it was Berg's attempt at humor that I didn't like in this novel. Final verdict: Glad it was a library book!

Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli...My Enrichment group in fifth grade is reading this novel. I loved, loved, loved it!
Set in Warsaw, Poland during WWII, the novel tells the story of a child living in the Ghetto there. I learned so much too. I highly recommend it!

Same Kind of Different as Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together by Ron Hall, Denver Moore, Lynn Vincent...this was such an inspirational read! I love any type of book or article that allows me to see a view from another person's perspective. I think everyone should read this book. 

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper...this novel is for children and middle school students. It's an incredible read told from the perspective of a fifth grade girl who is very intelligent and has cerebral palsy. She cannot speak at all and can only move her thumbs and fists. Again, a novel that made me understand "a diagnosis" from a different perspective. I loved how the author included so much of the main character's school life in the novel. While I am not a special education teacher, I do work on a campus that has two special education classes. I am going to recommend the book to the two special education teachers and their aides. I've already decided that this book will be my first read aloud for my new fifth grade class in September!

What did you read this month? What do you recommend???? I would love to get some recommendations for my summer vacation reading! Leave some thoughts in the comments, please.