It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 5/6

I'm linking up with Jen and Kellee at Teach Mentor Texts today.  Last week was Screen Free Week, so I was hoping to have read a bit more, but it coincided with a stretch of gorgeous weather that is remarkably still going.  High 60s-70s and sunny in Maine for 10 days straight is something of a rare thing in May.  (Or ever.)

I finished Small as an Elephant last week, which I really liked.  The book is set in Maine, and I recognized a lot of the places to which Jack traveled throughout the book.  I'm reading The Water Castle now, another book set in Maine, and although it's fictional, it's not hard to see the parallels between Crystal Springs and Poland Springs.  I think it's really cool to read books that are set near your home area.  It's almost like sharing a secret with the author..."Hey, I know this place too!" 

I read a couple of picture books that I loved last week.  One by Kathryn Otoshi is a book that I first heard about when I heard Lester Laminack present about bullying last December.  Warm weather temperatures often cause other things to heat up on the playground, so it was a good one to share with my kiddos.  I also finally got a chance to read Mo Willems' Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs while I was waiting for a print job in the library.  I want to live next door to Mo Willems.  I was cracking up laughing when our librarian came in.  I can't wait to share it with my kiddos. 

Next week, I'm going to finish The Water Castle.  (If I could have made an extra day in the weekend, I'd have devoted it to that purpose.  It's really good.)