Must Read in 2018 - April Update

I can hardly believe that it is already April! As we stop to check in our our #mustread lists, I am excited to say that I am about 75 percent through the books that I chose. I have stuck closely to my list, which has helped my progress. Most years I start digging into the Illinois Bluestem List about now, but when this year's list was announced I realized that I had already read all but four of the titles, so that hasn't pulled me away too much this time. One of my goals was to do more writing about my reading, and while I have jotted down a few notes here and there, I have not been very successful in this area. This remains on my To-Do list!

For the first time, I posted my Must Read in 2018 List on our circulation desk. It has been so much fun talking to students and teachers about the books I have been reading from it. I often share pictures of books I read, but for some reason several kids have taken more of an interest in the fact that I have a goal and that I am marking the books off. I have been highlighting each book as I read it, recording the month read, and sharing my rating (out of five stars) for each book. I also noted if a title was a Young Adult book, just so our students would know that our school library wouldn't be purchasing it. It has sparked great conversations and recommendations. 

It is rare that I like the second book in any series as much as the first, but I enjoyed The Wild Robot Escapes, Knock Out, and Bat and the Waiting Game as much as the earlier books. I read Breakout as an e-book from NetGalley, and I absolutely cannot wait for the actual book to be available to share with students. Amal Unbound, Halfway Normal, and Hope in the Holler were other standout books to me.

I look forward to reading these remaining books, and I am also eager to see posts from other readers. I think I will be adding some to my list, and it will be fun to get ideas from everyone else. I would honestly recommend every book I have read so far. Happy 2018 reading!