Literate Lives

How I Help My Kids Have Reading Lives (and Join the Nerdy Book Club)

2012-01-26T21:33:00.001-05:00

Wow! What a week this has been for me! First, we start with all the exciting ALA announcements on Monday. I had a personal record this year -- I had read and reviewed two of the three Newbery winners in our "Looking for Newbery" series!! Then, this Saturday, all the Central Ohio bloggers will be gathering to celebrate the awards with breakfast together, followed by a trip to our favorite independent children's bookstore, Cover to Cover. And I know there will be much conversation as well.

But to top it off, I have an opportunity to do a guest post at The Nerdy Book Club blog today. I am cross-posting my thinking here, but if you haven't checked out the NBC blog yet, you really need to! Lots of great weekly posts and ideas!!

I love my job!! On a daily basis, I have the opportunity to model for my students how I am personally part of a much bigger reading community than just the four walls of our classroom. I frequently talk to them about my reading life, their reading lives, and how I want them to live the lives of readers.

I look at how many ways we've been able to break down the physical walls of our classroom, and extend into the virtual reading community; many of those experiences grounded in conversations I had with other book lovers via Twitter.

It was through Twitter that I met Susan Dee (@literarydocent), and discovered that we were both going to begin reading Out of My Mind to our students at precisely the same time. I teach in Ohio and Susan teaches in Maine. In 140 characters or less (multiple times!), we came up with a plan for how we could connect our two classrooms via Kidblog. As we each read this powerful book aloud to our students, we had them take the time to respond to the book on the blog several times a week, and then also respond to each other's thinking. Their conversations were amazing!! We capped the experience off with a Skype visit between our two classes. They were so excited to put names and faces together, especially with the people with whom they had had rich online discussions. Their "in person" conversations were as thoughtful as their responses on the blog - so delightful!

It was also through Twitter that I met Laurel Snyder (@laurelsnyder), a wonderful author of children's books. With the upcoming release of her latest book, Bigger Than a Breadbox, this past October, she was offering free Skype visits to classes who might want that experience. That was a no-brainer for me - I definitely wanted that experience for my students. Laurel visited us via Skype, but the way she set it up, if felt like we were right there in her living room, just chatting about her book and other issues pertaining to being an author. After reading the book together and then having a conversation with Laurel, my forty-eight students felt so connected to this author who lives in a different place than they do. They were thinking and responding like readers in a virtual world.

This year, I have a different teaching situation than before. I've always taught in a fairly self-contained elementary classroom, but this year I am teaming with another teacher, and I teach two sections of 5th grade language arts each day. From the beginning, my goal was not to have them be two separate classes; instead, I wanted the physical walls to come down, and have them be part of the same larger reading community. I turned to my trusty KidBlog again. I've opened the virtual walls between the two homerooms so that they have conversations with each other about books, recommendations, our read aloud, and their lives as a reader on a regular basis, even when they're not in the same room. KidBlog is the perfect tool to enable these ongoing discussions.

Recently, I became a member of the Nerdy Book Club (actually, I've been a member all my life; it's just nice to have people organize it so well now!). I shared my membership in this club with my students, and then asked them what they thought it meant to be part of a book club. What great conversations ensued! From the obvious ("you get together and talk about a book") to the more thoughtful ("it gives you a sense of what other people think about the same book you read"), the discussions have been thought-provoking. And how did I hear about the Nerdy Book Club?? You guessed it -- Twitter again!

Hopefully, the message my students get on a daily basis is that we are all part of a global reading community, and to keep those communities alive, we need to actively participate in them. I really do want my students to be readers for life, both inside and outside our four classroom walls. Making that happen is why I love my job!!

New Gordon Korman is a Book Fair Showoff

2012-01-24T18:24:00.001-05:00

We're getting ready to set up our second book fair of the year, we always use Scholastic, and they always include some special price hard cover books. The first year I was in the library the book was Swindle by Gordon Korman. It was one of my very first book reviews at Literate Lives and I followed it up about a year later with a review of Zoobreak and about a year later with a review of Framed. Over the years these reviews have received a lot of attention so I figured why not, I'll review the latest installment in the series, Showoff.

Luthor the guard dog is the featured character in this episode. Griffin is spending six weeks with his friend Ben while Mr. and Mrs. Bing are in Europe trying to sell Mr. Bing's inventions. The one rule in place is "No Plans!" Of course Griffin agrees, but when the kids go to the mall to see a grand champion show dog trouble starts.

Samantha the animal lover takes Luthor the doberman and he uncharacteristically charges the stage and injures the champion pooch. Samantha's family is sued by the owner and Luthor is dropped off at the pound. That doesn't sit well with Griffin so he bails Luthor out and sets his plan, Operation Doggie Rehab, into motion.

Griffin intends to turn Luthor into a grand champion show dog to raise the money to pay the lawsuit to help Samantha get her dog back to keep. As usual parts of the plan work, parts don't and Griffin and Ben get mixed up with some interesting characters, most notably world famous dog trainer Dmitri Trebezhov who has dropped out of the dog game to protest the treatment of the show dogs.

The chapters on Dmitri's training techniques were some of my favorites and had me laughing out loud in spots. I think kids are really going to enjoy them too. This installment of the Swindle series doesn't have quite as much action as the other three, and the team doesn't get totally engaged until close to the end, but it's still fun. Gordon Korman has a way in all of his books of drawing the reader in and keeping them. Whether it's the action, or the characters or the plot twists, he writes books that kids love to read.

I have a feeling that Showoff will be flying off of the book fair shelves.

Looking for Newbery - The Picks

2012-01-22T05:14:00.096-05:00

We have had the good fortune to sit down a couple of times during the running of our Looking for Newbery series this year and there were some definite themes to our conversations.

The first, as we debated whether or not to go ahead and run the Looking for Newbery series, was that we think people like our Newbery posts. We're not big number watchers here at Literate Lives; we blog because we enjoy reading and writing about good kids' books, but it is clear that our readership goes up every year while we "look for Newbery." We take that to mean that people must like what we are doing during this time of year, and even with the onslaught of blogs dedicated to Newbery predictions, readers are still finding us, so we decided to continue this year.

The second theme we noticed was that we felt our own personal reading was down this year. Neither of us felt we had read nearly the number of books as in years past, and neither of us felt we had read the winner. Last year we believed that one of us had at least read the winner, we just weren't sure what it was. This year we don't have a feel for the winner AND we feel like we probably haven't read it anyway! Maybe we're all in for another Moon Over Manifest surprise, but there's no telling what the committee will do. All of that being said, we've decided to list the books that we really liked this year. If they win we look like geniuses; if they don't, we still look pretty good because we know these are good books that kids like, and isn't that what it really all about?

Bill's Picks:

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt: I liked it from the start when I read the ARC and I like it just as much now. Quality characters and writing everything you expect from this author and I think it's about time he won a gold medal.

The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale by Carmen Agra Deedy: I'm still on the read aloud band wagon for this one. If anyone has tried it I'd love to hear about it. Why not celebrate Charles Dickens' 200th birthday with this fun tale.

With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo: I definitely like this one for a future Grand Discussion. It will provide lots of great discussion material. The family dynamics are wonderful and I really like the strong parental units!

Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Richardson Jacobson: I know it was a long time ago, but this one sticks with you after you read it. I hope it sticks with the judges too.

Bird in a Box by Andrea Davis Pinkney: I love historical fiction and this one is about a topic that I was totally unaware of until now. I love how the three perspectives weave together.

Karen's favorites this year:

As Bill said, I don't have a good feel for what will win the Newbery this year, but I have had a blast this past month reading frantically to catch up on all the books I felt I had missed in 2011. I plan on doing a much better job with my reading this year.

Anyway, with no further ado, here are my top 5 (okay, 8!!) favorites of the year:

Okay For Now - I've listened to the criticisms of this book, but there is something about Doug that just touches my heart. And the supporting cast including Lil, Mrs. Windemere, and his mom, are so well done and crucial to the plot. I'm reading this book aloud to one of my language arts classes, and they are as involved with Doug's life as I am.

Inside Out and Back Again - I just reread this one on Friday. That reread made me once again appreciate how beautiful the language in this story was. The fact that this story was based on the author's (Thanhha Lai) own life experience as her family fled from Vietnam, made it all the more poignant. And I'm a sucker for a great novel in verse.

Wonderstruck - I know it probably doesn't even qualify for the Newbery award, but it was absolutely one of my favorite books of the year. Selznick was a master at illustrating one story, telling another story with words, and then beautifully meshing the two. Pure genius!!

Ghetto Cowboy - I read this book after hearing about it on twitter, and it has stayed with me ever since. The concept of a horse stable in the ghetto of Philadelphia was not only intriguing, but also based on true events. Loved the journey of this main character, and really liked how his dad was trying to make a difference within his own community.

Hound Dog True - Loved this female character, Mattie, and I really, really loved Uncle Potluck. Such a small story, packed with amazing emotion. I had many personal connections to this story which added to its power for me.

Cheshire Cheese Cat - Another book that recently came to my attention and I loved it. I'm not usually a fan of stories with animals as main characters, but I'd most definitely make an exception for this one. Who knew there could be such great suspense with cheese, mice, cats, a misplaced bird, and Charles Dickens in a pub?!! Great language abounds in this story, and as an adult, it was fun to know the "inside jokes" in reference to Charles Dickens.

Bigger Than a Breadbox - This story is a great look at how divorce and separation can affect children. It covers several other themes as well: trying to fit in to a new place and wishing for things you want doesn't always bring you happiness. I read this aloud to both of my language arts classes and we capped our experience off with a Skype visit with Laurel Snyder. It was an incredibly thought-provoking read.

Icefall - This was my final read in trying to get to all the best books on mock Newbery lists, and it was such an amazing read. There was one section of the book where I found myself gasping for air because of the building tension in the action. At another point, I was sobbing. Great characters, great setting, Viking folklore, storytelling within a story, and cliffhangers galore. This one would be slightly old for my 5th graders, but I still loved it!!!!!

So, that wraps it up for this year. We hope something we've mentioned gets some love on Monday. But, as Bill said, no matter what, we have both enjoyed some great books this year, and we've had the great opportunity to share them with students as well.

Looking for Newbery - The Aviary

2012-01-18T06:04:00.000-05:00

The Aviary by Kathleen O'Dell is an interesting book. Part historical fiction, part mystery it is full of twist and turns that keep the reader guessing and guessing and guessing. I didn't figure it out until the very end and then I'm still not sure I've figured it out!

First there's the Glendoveer Mansion, the family home of a world renown magician whose family perished in a boat crash under mysterious circumstances. The mansion becomes a character in the story with its mysterious rooms and sounds and artifacts. It's the perfect setting for this suspenseful story.

Then there's Clara, the house keeper's daughter. She's a curious girl, but her overprotective mother won't let her leave the house. She looks longingly out the windows when the drapes aren't drawn and wishes she was walking to school with the other neighborhood kids. She believes she suffers from a rare heart disease that makes it to dangerous for her to mingle with the outside world. Clara only knows the Glendoveer Mansion and it's last inhabitant, Mrs. Glendoveer.

Mrs. Glendoveer is the sickly, aged widow of the world renown magician. When she passes away, Clara's only friend is taken away...or is she? Clara still feels her presence and is convinced that there is something she must do so Mrs. Glendoveer can finally rest.

Add, the birds. The birds in the aviary in the backyard. Each a different species, each with a different personality, each with what appear to be very human characteristics. Clara is afraid of the birds, but has promised Mrs. Glendoveer that they will be taken care of after her death. Clara fulfills her promise and begins to notice that the birds are more human than they should be, one of them even speaking.

Begin the investigation. Clara starts to look into things, finding some of the mysterious mansion rooms, sensing the presence of Mrs. Glendoveer and realizing the secret lies with the birds. She befriends one of the school children by waving out an open window and has a partner to help with the investigation since she still isn't allowed to leave the house.

Everything is answered in the end, and the end is satisfying. There are a lot of characters all adding their own piece to the puzzle in interesting and entertaining ways. Although it wasn't a quick easy read, a lot to think about and process, I liked the book. I was a bit afraid that it might be a little long in some places for kids to get into, but several of the Newbery Club members read and liked the book. The writing is certainly well done and the feel Kathleen O'Dell creates with her words definitely works in this mysterious story.

Looking for Newbery - Bigger Than a Breadbox

2012-01-17T04:50:00.003-05:00

I would be remiss in our Looking for Newbery series if I didn't include Bigger than a Breadbox by Laurel Snyder. It came out in the fall, but I had the good fortune to read it before that time. Because of an offer Laurel made on twitter about a free Skype visit with her, I have already written two posts about this book. One was my review of Bigger Than a Breadbox, and the other was a synopsis of both of my classes' opportunity to Skype with Laurel Snyder and talk about Bigger Than a Breadbox and a myriad of other questions pertaining to the life of a writer. Our skype visit with Laurel Snyder was fabulous!

Bigger Than a Breadbox was our second shared read aloud of the year, and I think I speak for all 49 of my students when I say that Laurel Snyder is an amazing author, and we all loved our time with her and our time sharing this book together!!

Looking for Newbery - Ghetto Cowboy

2012-01-15T10:27:00.000-05:00

One day this fall, I was catching up on tweets from people I follow, and I noticed much chatter about a book I hadn't even heard of -- Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri. While I have been behind on many books I wanted to read, this was different; it was a title that I'd never heard. The people having the conversation were people who tend to have some of the same reading tastes as me, so I knew Ghetto Cowboy was a book I needed to read.

Ghetto Cowboy is a work of fiction, though it is based on actual urban cowboys from the Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and Queens areas. In fact G. Neri first learned about these cowboys while reading an article in Life magazine called "Street Cowboys." I like his title much better - Ghetto Cowboy.

A quick setup to the story: The main character, Cole, has been badly misbehaving back in Detroit. He has gotten in so much trouble, his mom, who is raising him alone, decides to deliver him to the father he didn't even know existed in Philadelphia, hoping that a man's influence would benefit Cole. His dad's name is Harper and he helps maintain a stable in the ghettos of Philadelphia where they take in horses of all kinds. For a hard-nosed, urban kid like Cole, this is all just a little bit too much to absorb.

I loved this book for so many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is it reminded me so much of the Christopher Paul Curtis's books, The Watsons Go to Birmingham and Bud, Not Buddy.

All of these books have urban settings as a backdrop.
In addition, all these books use a dialect that matches both the characters and the settings.
In each book, the main characters have fallen upon hard times of some sort.
There is a journey that needs to take place in all of these stories, both a physical journey and a journey for the main characters to find out a critical piece of who they really are.
All these stories rely on the some quirky secondary characters to help the main characters on their journey of self-discovery.

Ghetto Cowboy is a book that stayed with me so much, I've reread it two other times since my first reading. I don't know if this book will get any recognition on January 23, but I do know that it is absolutely one of my top 5 favorite middle grade reads for 2011!!!!

Looking for Newbery - The Wonderstruck Conundrum

2012-01-13T08:09:00.005-05:00

Three years ago librarians were faced with a similar dilemma, what to do with Brian Selznick's The Adventures of Hugo Cabret. Well, he's done it again, what do we do with Brian Selzinick's Wonderstruck.

Is it Newbery? Caldecott? Graphic Novel? None of the above?

Whatever category you put it in, it's good. Selznick has a way of weaving stories and pictures together like nobody else right now. In Wonderstruck the stories of Ben and Rose start out separate, but knowing how Brian Selznick works, the reader knows at some point they will come together.

Ben is a partially deaf boy living in Minnesota in 1977. He doesn't know his father, but lives a happy life with his mother and her family in a tiny fishing cabin. When his mother dies suddenly, Ben begins to wonder about the family he never knew. While looking around the cabin he finds a book with a mysterious inscription and decides it's a clue that he must follow to New York City to find his past.

Rose is a girl, practically a prisoner in her own home, in 1927 Hoboken, New Jersey escapes to New York City following an actress she idolizes.

Both children find the answers they are looking for and more in the city and when the pictures and text come together they find each other. It really is a fairly simple story but in the hands of Brian Selznick it twists and turns through adventures involving amazing characters that change the story every time they enter and leave.

Hugo Cabret is still a popular book in the library and when I brought out Wonderstruck, the reserve list grew and grew and grew. We are still working our way through it and kids are still adding their names to the end of it. The books are magical and draw kids in, all kids, regardless of reading level get the books and read them again and again.

Brian Selznick has done it again!

Looking for Newbery - Breadcrumbs

2012-01-11T03:15:00.001-05:00

Is there anyone who has read Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu that hasn't loved it and its themes and its beautiful language?! If so, I haven't talked to them.

I needed a quick review today, so as I was looking back at the reviews I've written this year, I found a small snippet I wrote after the 48 Hour Challenge last June. It all still holds true, so I'm copying it here:

**I finished Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu. I don't want to ruin the plot, because this book doesn't even come out until this October, but I do have to say the themes within the story make it an incredibly important read. A couple of notes, however. The main character is at one point reading When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. I loved how cleverly Ursu lets the reader know that without ever mentioning the actual title, and how well she connected the two story lines. Another part that truly stuck a chord with me is the following:

'Somewhere ahead there was a boy who had been her best friend. She had known so many versions of him, she carried all of them with her.'

If that passage doesn't capture the essence of friendship, I'm not sure what does. I kept reading the section over and over, loving it more each time.**

As I reread this brief reflection, I remembered how much this passage, and so many more passages just like it, in Breadcrumbs moved me. It is a book that is sure to be a classic and quite possibly wearing a Newbery medal in the very near future.

Looking for Newbery - Okay for Now

2012-01-10T08:47:00.004-05:00

Frequent readers of Literate Lives know how Karen and I feel about Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt. This book has been at the top of my list since the beginning and that hasn't changed. I have used it as my "measuring stick" this year. Everything I read was compared to Okay for Now.

In all of his books, Gary Schmidt creates and develops characters that stick with the reader even after the book is finished. In Okay for Now he brings back a minor character from The Wednesday Wars and develops him and his family into a story that keeps the reader interested and moving through the book.

Doug Swieteck is a boy with a tough life. An abusive father, a troubled brother, a mom who just tries to keep things together for her family. Fortunately he meets some people who take an interest in his life and help him through the tough times. Mr. Powell the librarian who spots some talent in Doug and helps him develop it. Lil Spicer, a girl his age who befriends him and even helps him get a job and a science teacher that treats him as an individual, not his brother.

I wrote a more complete review here, and we used it at our first Grand Discussion this year which I wrote about here. We recently looked at a list counting the number of awards that various books have won, Okay for Now was down the line a bit, but as far as I'm concerned, it's still number one.

Looking for Newbery - Amelia Lost

2012-01-09T04:30:00.021-05:00

I have been reading many places about the literary merit of Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming. Now that I've read Amelia Lost, can I just say, "Wow!!" It is worthy of any honor it might receive in this upcoming awards season!!!

I love how, much like Wonderstruck, there are two parts of the story that flip back and forth until the entire story line merges together toward the end.

One part of the story is cliffhanger after cliffhanger as the reader waits, eagerly hoping that Amelia will land safely at Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean for her refueling on the final leg of her around the world flight. Instead, we hear about call signals missed between the Coast Guard and Amelia - they can't seem to hear one another, even though several people in the United States heard some of her distress calls on their CB radios at home. The tension is built so well by Fleming, I could actually feel my stomach clenching as I hoped someone would find and save Amelia, even though I am well aware of the outcome of the search.

The other part of the story takes us back in time, starting when Amelia was born and gives us the background information necessary to understand this very complex woman. Amelia is at times caring, and at other times selfish, but she always has an adventurous streak within that pushes her to test her limitations. Many of the insights I gained about Amelia were foreshadowing possible reasons for her ill-fated final flight.

This could very well be one of the best biographies I've ever read! The language is gorgeous and there are many quotes from Amelia that tie it all together. And the extra artifacts and other information Fleming intersperses throughout the book just add to its depth.

Amelia Lost is absolutely a winner!

Looking for Newbery - Small as an Elephant

2012-01-08T10:05:00.006-05:00

Every year it seems that there is at least one amazing book that, because of its release date, gets lost in the Newbery shuffle. I read Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Richard Jacobson back in March and marked it Newbery Watch in my journal, then I sort of forgot about it. As I began looking at other watch lists the title popped back up again and I remembered that it was indeed a 2011 title. I hope the Newbery judges have a better memory than I do!

Small as an Elephant starts in a campground on an island off the coast of Maine. Eleven year old Jack Martel comes out of the tent he share with his mom only to find his mom gone. He then sets out an adventure to find his way home, or at least to someplace safe. Jack is torn throughout his journey about how much he should reveal about himself. Author Jennifer Richard Jacobson does an outstanding job of keeping the reader wondering what the full story is too.

I remember wondering what kind of parent just leaves their 11 year old in the middle of a campground without any information about their whereabouts. I remember wondering if she had just run to get more supplies and would be back soon. I remember feeling angry, just like Jack, when I realized she wasn't coming back. I remember wanting Jack to tell someone safe about his predicament and I remember understanding why he didn't in order to protect his mom.

I remember a lot about this book 10 months after reading it and I think that speaks to the power of the writing. Slowly the facts of Jack's life are revealed, his love of elephants, his mother's mental illness and his fight to protect her so he can stay with her. Jennifer Richard Jacobson uses a string of characters along Jack's journey to reveal of the important facts about his story.

Recently we had a preliminary vote at our student Newbery Club, and Small as an Elephant made it to number one on several of the lists. Here's hoping it makes it to the top of some of the Newbery judges' lists too.

Looking for Newbery - Sir Gawain the True

2012-01-07T05:05:00.005-05:00

I picked up Sir Gawain the True by Gerald Morris from the library multiple times, but I just never go around to reading it up until this point. But when perusing one of my favorite places for Mock Newbery titles, I saw that Sir Gawain made the shortlist of the Heavy Medal blog at SLJ. I knew it was time to get this book from the library one last time and actually read it!

But in this post, I'm not going to talk about Sir Gawain the True's literary merits. I'm just going to say that this book was flat out F-U-N!! It's the kind of book to which kids will gravitate, especially boys, though as a female, I had belly laugh after belly laugh myself, so girls might be amused as I was. There are great fights, people getting bopped on the head, magical elements, dragon slaying, and beheadings. And the illustrations by Aaron Renier are perfect for this book - my favorite illustration involves a knight wearing bunny slippers. Kids will love this!!

But through all the humor, there actually is a great message for kids about staying true to your word and being polite. And knowing that, I am pleased to find out that there are other books Morris has written in this series - The Knights' Tales.

Now that I've written this post, I'm actually going to go back and read about why Nina and Jonathan put Sir Gawain the True on their mock Newbery shortlist. Regardless, I'm so happy I finally read it and can now share it with students. Sir Gawain is pure entertainment!!

Looking for Newbery - With a Name Like Love

2012-01-06T06:27:00.000-05:00

I wish I could remember which list include With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo because it's one of my favorites. I won't lie, I was a bit put off by the title, sounded a little romantic for my taste, but once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down.

At thirteen, Ollie is the oldest daughter of a traveling preacher named Everlasting Love. Everlasting is the son of a traveling preacher and loves the life of going from town to town saving souls and preaching the word. Ollie, on the other hand, is a typical 13 year old who would love to settle down somewhere, attend a real school, have friends other than her sisters and live in a real house, not the trailer pulled behind her father's truck. She loves her father and respects what he does, she just wishes he would do it in a more permanent setting.

When the Loves pull into Binder, a small town like so many others, their life changes. Ollie meets a boy with a cloud over him. His father has been killed and his mother is in jail after admitting to the murder. His family lives on "the wrong side of the tracks" and the rest of the town won't give them a break. Ollie feels sorry for him and thinks there is more to the story than what is known publicly. She talks it over with her mother and father and pretty soon the family is wrapped up in the politics and drama of an unsolved murder and a family in crisis.

Tess Hilmo does great job of creating the tension of the small town complete with a crooked sheriff with connections to the state attorney, a bitter mean woman who runs the local store and her bully sons. I was angry at all of them as I read the story and couldn't wait for each one of them to "get theirs!"

Of course the story wouldn't be complete without the positive side of life in the small town and Ollie's family is blessed to be taken in after a fire by Mrs. Mahoney who understands Ollie's desire to settle down and does what she can to make that happen. Tess Hilmo uses her to provide hope for Ollie and to temper the bad side of a bad situation.

This is absolutely one of my favorite books of the year. I have recommended it to the better fifth grade readers because there are some fairly graphic violent moments and themes that a mature reader can handle. I hope this book doesn't get lost in the shuffle because it is definitely well done. I may be jumping the gun a bit, but I can see this as a future Grand Discussion selection.

Looking for Newbery - Hound Dog True

2012-01-05T01:19:00.003-05:00

Hound Dog True by Linda Urban felt very personal for me and therefore touched my heart in profound ways.

First, like the main character, Mattie, one of my daughters had a very difficult time talking to others when she was young - I saw firsthand how painful her shyness could be. Every time Mattie moved, she would need to get up in front of her new teacher and new classmates and share something interesting about herself. The time, energy, and agonizing that went into this for her was painful to read. She protected herself with her writing, her imagination, and her solitude. When a new character, Quincy, tried to break past the wall Mattie had built around herself, Mattie questioned her motives and tried to insulate herself from having too much contact with her.

Second, Uncle Potluck, Mattie's uncle, a school custodian, reminded me so much of a custodian from my school who just passed away. They were both articulate, had many rich life experiences, they cared for others, and they always wanted to make children feel good about themselves. Uncle Potluck loved Mattie unconditionally and saw her for exactly who she was. What a gift for Mattie. I loved the part when the reader finds out how Potluck got his name, but I do think that if I was sharing this with students, I would need to fill in some background knowledge about what a potluck actually is.

The language that is used in this book is terrific, but some of my favorite phrases come from Uncle Potluck:

"traitorous knee,

gave its service in the illumination of youth,

director of custodial arts,

recording our custodial endeavors for posterity,

prognostication."

And that's just to name a few.

Another part of Hound Dog True that I loved was how Mattie learned to be brave about big things, you have to do many small things that are brave as well. Being brave is like being in training -- thanks to Mattie's school principal for that analogy.

And finally, how perfect that the reader sees the power of writing to get a character past difficult times. That's a huge message!

Hound Dog True is a wonderful book with incredible characters and lovely language. Definitely another favorite for me in 2011.

Looking for Newbery - Chengli and the Silk Road Caravan

2012-01-04T05:59:00.002-05:00

One of my all time favorite Newbery winners is A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park. I love the story and the history that goes with it and Linda Sue Park does such a beautiful job of writing that I made it a regular in my read aloud rotation when I was still in the class room. It was a book that students didn't generally pick up on their own, but when they heard the story they loved it too. I added it to one of our early Newbery Club reading list and as usual, the kids who read it loved it.

It was because of A Single Shard that I was drawn to Chengli and the Silk Road Caravan by Hildi Kang. I found it on the same Twitter list I mentioned earlier and the subject matter drew me in. Chengli is a boy in ancient China, working as a laborer for a silk merchant in Chang'an China, the trading center for all of the caravans coming across the desert.

He is drawn to the desert by a mysterious wind that only he can feel or hear. Chengli believes it is the spirit of his dead father, a well respected inspector. He finally reaches a point of not being able to resist the calling of the wind and runs away from his master and the old cook who served as his guardian after the death of his mother. He joins a caravan that is headed across the desert as camel keeper. As fate would have it, his caravan is chosen to escort the girl princess who has been promised in marriage to a distant king.

Hildi Kang does a masterful job of describing the difficult life of the caravan. Walking for days and weeks and months on end through hot deserts, fighting bandits and protecting themselves from unscrupuolous fellow caravan workers. On the journey Chengli and the princess develop an uneasy friendship and when he is responsible for saving her life twice, their friendship becomes strong.

Chengli's journey is not a waste. Along the way he meets officials who knew his father and don't believe the son of such a respected inspector could be working as an animal keeper for a caravan. Chengli is able to convince them by showing them the one clue that links him to his father and the story ends with the promise of a bright future.

Hildi Kang brings the reader into the desert with the caravan and the excitement of the chase when the princess is kidnapped is hard to put down. It's obvious from the detail that she has done her research and she tells the story of Chengli in a way that is interesting and easy to read. With cliff hangers in every chapter, this would make a great read aloud and I think it deserves more attention then it has been given.

Looking for Newbery - Sparrow Road

2012-01-03T04:50:00.007-05:00

I'm going to be honest, Bill and I agreed to not tell what our favorite books are until the very end of our series, but I have to make this declaration: I love, love, love Sparrow Road by Sheila O'Connor!! As a friend said recently, I'm surprised this book isn't being more seriously talked about in regards to the Newbery award (I found it on the Anderson's Bookshop Mock Newbery list).

Sparrow Road is a story that tugged at my heartstrings from the first sentence all the way to the last. The main character, Raine O'Rourke (great name, right?), moves far away from home when her mother takes a summer job as a cook/maid at an artists' retreat on Sparrow Road. Raine spends a lot of time wondering why they have moved from their familiar home with her grandpa to a place called Comfort, where they know no one, and also wonders what the relationship is between her mom and the head of the artists' retreat, Viktor.

The artists themselves make wonderful foils for Raine - so incredibly quirky and eclectic. Each artist has a gift - Lillian writes poetry and plays the piano, Eleanor is writing a book, Josie makes gorgeous quilts and other fabric creations, and Diego constructs art from others' garbage. Each of these individuals contribute greatly to Raine finding her inner creative self during the summer.

The fact that the house that hosts the artists' retreat used to be an orphanage plays heavily into the story line. It becomes part of Raine as a writer and as a person, and we discover interesting tidbits about other characters in the story as well. The orphanage part truly is intertwined throughout everyone's story in a masterful way by O'Connor.

The language in the story is gorgeous as well. I'm just listing a few examples:

"This is going to take some brave from both of us" -- Raine's mom talking about their move to Sparrow Road.

"Diego was right. Sparrow Road wasn't really silent. It was filled with a background hum most people didn't slow down enough to hear. A steady insect buzz, birdsong, the rustle of leaf brushing against leaf. I could even hear the wind whistle through the weeds." -- Raine commenting on her first day of silence, something enforced for the artists at Sparrow Road to get in touch with their creativity.

"Just tell yourself you're going for a walk. Forget you're up on stage. Disappear while the words do all the work. Come on back when the audience starts clapping." -- advice Raine gets when she gets stage fright about sharing her story with others.

There's another integral part of the story that I've deliberately left out because it's too important for you to hear it from me. You really need to read about it and see how it develops on your own.

In case there were any doubts in your mind, I ADORE Sparrow Road!!!!!!!!!

Looking for Newbery - The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale

2012-01-02T08:17:00.003-05:00

First of all, let me apologize for going with a "re-post" so early in our yearly quest for Newbery winners. We spent the past week in Florida, a surprise gift to our children, and I'm still trying to wake up after 16 hours on the road and coming home to a house that looked like Christmas just ended a few hours ago, when it was really a week and oh yeah...school starts again tomorrow!

Let me just wrap up the apology by saying it was all worth it. As my kids get older I know these family trips will be getting fewer and farther between so I treasure every minute of them. There's a future blog post here I think, but for now, let's look for Newbery.

I posted The Cheshire Cheese Cat back in November and since then have gotten it into the hands of several students who absolutely love it. One of them even came to me asking about Charles Dickens books in the library. We discussed titles and, given the season, A Christmas Carol came up. She wasn't aware that the famous story done by the Muppets, Mickey Mouse and countless others was actually a literary classic written in the 1800s. I don't know if she went on to read any other Dickens classics, they would have been a challenge, but in any case this book served as an introduction to great literature.

I said in my original post that it would make a great read aloud, and I'll stand by that. The chapters end with great cliff hangers and the twists and turns are exciting and fun. I haven't seen this on a lot of lists so far, but I did find it on a list my friend Maria at Teaching in the 21st Century sent me on Twitter. She and I had a conversation with our Newbery Club members about the books we have been reading and I made the point that with all of the books I've read this year, I still don't think I've read the winner. Time will tell, and I'll still give my opinion.

Looking for Newbery - Dead End in Norvelt

2012-01-01T07:05:00.013-05:00

I had the pleasure of hearing Jack Gantos speak in 2010 at a dinner during the NCTE convention. He was witty, clever, quirky, and articulate. So it came as no surprise when I read his book, Dead End in Norvelt, that it has the same characteristics that he does.

Dead End in Norvelt came to my attention as I followed various Mock Newbery groups online. This book was mentioned on Heavy Medal's blog at SLJ. As I look at how many post-it notes I put in this book while reading it, I would definitely have to agree with those opinions.

I enjoyed so much about Dead End in Norvelt, but my favorite part of the book was the relationship between the main character, Jack Gantos, and his elderly neighbor, Miss Volker. Together, they are quite busy one summer writing obituaries for the many other elderly people dying in Norvelt (a town named after Eleanor Roosevelt). What is unique about the obituaries that Miss Volker composes and has Jack scribe, then type, are their depth. Miss Volker not only tells the pertinent details about the deceased, but she also connects them to the person's personal history as well as the history of the world. She is so passionate when she dictates the obituaries for Jack.

Miss Volker says:

"History often sheds more light on the present than the past."

Toward the end of the book, Jack sums up why Miss Volker feels it is so necessary to revisit history:

"The reason you remind yourself of the stupid stuff you've done in the past is so you don't do it again. That was what Miss Volker had been teaching all these years."

What a great lesson for us all!

One of Jack's quirky characteristics was his perpetual nosebleeds. Anytime he was worried, in trouble, grossed out, or under any pressure, his nose would respond by spurting blood. Of course, the nosebleeds usually happened at very inopportune times; one of my favorites was when he was looking at a dead body for the first time in a funeral home and his nose started dripping blood on the white satin lining of the casket. He had just seen the person's dentures and when wondering out loud why they weren't in the person's mouth, he was told the lips were sewn together so dentures are not necessary. The information proved to be a little too much for Jack.

Between being grounded for the entire summer for disobeying his mother, digging a hole for a bomb shelter for his dad, reading myriads of books on historical events while grounded, helping write obituaries, driving Miss Norvelt's car, and wondering if the Hells' Angels are coming to live in Norvelt or destroy it, Jack is quite a busy guy.

I enjoyed one of Jack's descriptions of himself:

"My brown curls stood up on my head like a field planted with question marks. There was no reason to brush it. The question marks would just stand up into exclamation points and then wilt back into question marks. Besides, I was a boy. It is okay to be a boy slob because moms think they still have time to cure you of your bad habits before you grow up and become an annoying adult slob for someone else."

What a gift of words - it elicited a great visual for me! Passages such as this one and the many obituaries Miss Norvelt dictated remind me of the beautiful language I would expect from a Newbery winner. Starting our "Looking for Newbery" series with Dead End in Norvelt seems like a really good idea!

Looking for Newbery begins again (2012 version)!!

2011-12-30T15:34:00.002-05:00

There are so many places online these days to find Newbery predictions that we actually talked about not running this series in January again this year. But over breakfast recently, we made the decision to do it anyway. If nothing else, it will be a sounding board for us to talk about books we have loved this past year. In addition, as we follow the other online resources for mock Newbery lists, we will talk about some of the books we have discovered from those lists that might not have come to our attention otherwise. Is there anything better than finding a great new book?!!

We have decided to run our Looking for Newbery series from January 1 - January 22 this year. Our goal is to post about one book a day that we think might be worthy of the Newbery Gold or Honor medals (OR just chat about books and characters we really, really liked!). Chances are we won't get it right, but that's okay. We can't wait to talk about books we love!!

Please join us on our Looking for Newbery expedition as we look at some of the best and the brightest books of 2011!!

Sidekicks

2011-12-29T10:01:00.001-05:00

Sidekicks by Dan Santat is a hoot!! From first page to last, I was chuckling at the bumbling, and sometimes successful, attempt of pets who want to be their owner's (an aging superhero) sidekick. A mouse, a dog, a cat, and and a chameleon -- not the most likely candidates to be a superhero's sidekick, but as they try to win the coveted role, sometimes by outdoing the other, humor ensues. I love that buried inside the humor and the wonderful art of this graphic novel, there is also a great message - we are better when we work together.

This book comes complete with a great villian as well; he even has a great villian name -- Dr. Archibald Havoc. And there's a Society of Superheroes in this town that work together to help one another. Who knew you could pick up a phone to assemble a group of superheroes to find a new sidekick?!

On my second read of this book, there were some great clues in the pictures that I had missed the first time; clues that foreshadowed the events that would lead to the destruction of our superhero. And if you don't usually read the author's page on the back flap, make an exception for this one!! First of all, Dan Santat's picture is posted in the outfit he would be wearing if he was chosen to be the sidekick for the superhero - priceless! And the very last page of the book is his application to be the superhero sidekick - fun!!

I am so happy I found this book with my students when we were checking out the Top 20 Books of 2011 compiled by John Schumacher and Travis Jonker (I can't get a bookmark for this one / will come back and try later), two amazing librarians. As we read what they said about this book, I knew I had to read it and get it into our classroom pronto!

Speaking of which, I was in a dilemma about whether to buy 2 copies of Sidekicks because I know it will be so popular, and I teach language arts to two different groups of 5th graders. After an online conversation with Donalyn Miller, she gave me a great idea. She said for popular books like this, she holds a drawing for who gets the book. Once the book comes back in, she draws another name out of the jar. Smart thinking, right? I guess that's why they call her The Book Whisperer!

I can't wait for students to start enjoying Sidekicks in 2012!!!!

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life

2011-12-27T09:05:00.000-05:00

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts is a book that I predict will be very popular in our classroom. It is reminiscent of the tween angst found in the series of The Diary of A Wimpy Kid and Amelia's Notebook, coupled with the great illustrations found in My Life as a Book, My Life as a Stuntboy, and Origami Yoda.

The angst comes from the main character, Rafe Khatchadorian. His last name alone leaves him open to the unkindness of some classmates. Rafe is the narrator of the multiple stories he has to tell - there is always the real story, and then there is the "Rafe" story - the latter will amuse many of the boys in my room.

Rafe's plan to make himself memorable in middle school is to break every rule in the student handbook as a 6th grader. Again, many students will enjoy his quest to break the rules. And the quirky illustrations by Laura Park that go with the story and Rafe's imagination are a hoot - full of detail and creativity. I envision an entirely new style of writing will take place in our writer's workshop after students read this book.

Rafe often talks directly to the reader, and there is one surprise layer that is added to this story that brings more compassion to Rafe's character, but there will be no spoilers here.

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life is the type of book that might not win an award, but will most definitely be one of the most checked-out books in our classroom library. I can't wait to see who gets it first!!

Thoughts (Very Late!!) from NCTE 2011 (Part 1)

2011-12-11T11:07:00.009-05:00

It's been almost a month since I attended NCTE 2011, and much of my learning has been percolating in my mind, but I haven't been able to process how to share it. After reading a recent post from Cathy, I realized that snippets of thinking are all I could probably do as well without getting incredibly long-winded.

So, here is a breakdown of some of the sessions I attended, and a few of my take-aways:

I listened to Kathy Short at the Elementary Get-Together on Thursday as she accepted her award for the Outstanding Educator Award and was fascinated by how she talked about how important it is to share the stories of her life. What a great kickoff for the rest of the convention as I brought the framework of "story" to what I heard and experienced for the rest of the convention. It was also amazing that I sat a table right next to Ken Goodman - what an amazing thinker!!

I missed the first sessions of Friday because I needed to meet with my fellow presenters as we put the final touches on our poetry presentation for Saturday. One of the biggest stories that came out of this breakfast meeting was that I discovered that one of my cohorts, Katie, had gotten engaged since I last saw her (she lives in Oregon; I love in Ohio)!! Such exciting times ahead for her! The other story of this meeting is how much one can learn from doing a presentation with others. The two smart ladies with whom I presented (Katie and her mom, Dee) made me a better teacher just by our interactions through the past few months. It is a true gift to learn alongside others!!

One of my Friday sessions was titled Authors as Mentors for Peer Critique Groups, and it was a panel that included Matthew Kirby, Eric Luper, Linda Urban, and Kate Messner. Before I do any sharing here, can I say how fun it was to meet Kate in person after being connected to her on twitter (and after the session to get an autographed copy of her ARC, Eye of the Storm)!! These are four brilliant authors who go through the same struggles our students and we experience as writers. They all had similar messages -- writers need to engage in art of giving and receiving critiques, it is incredibly important to create a safe environment for this type of conversation, and the overall idea of critique groups is to bring out your best when writing. What terrific messages to take back to my own students.

Then, I was off to hear Ralph Fletcher speak. How fortunate that he had teamed up with Dan Feigelson and Kate Morris, as they all talked about how mentor texts lift students' writing. This session was packed with people even sitting in the hall to hear these panelists speak. Kate is a teacher who was sharing practical applications of her writing instruction. My favorite example was how she uses the v-shape to help students go from a big topic (vacation) and narrow their focus (how my brother broke his arm on vacation). She ended with my favorite line of the day, "My biggest dream is not for kids to be 'standard'." Brilliantly stated.

I ended Friday in another packed room for a session about nonfiction - Ellin Keene was the moderator, and the panel was comprised of Seymour Simon, Linda Hoyt, and Ann Marie Corgill. They were all wonderful. Seymour Simon shared how he uses strong words to enhance text - my immediate take-away after he shared some examples was that I need to go back to the books of his I own and focus on his language choices with my students. The idea that his books always promote curiosity intertwines perfectly with how we are wondering in our class this year. Linda Hoyt focused on the importance of modeling in front of students, but also making sure our modeling isn't just whole class modeling. We should also model in small groups and individually. I love Ann Marie; the thing she shared that I will be trying is the idea of group research. The level of her students' writing was really elevated because of this opportunity. Her final message was, "We want our kids to leave our classrooms thinking 'I can make a difference'."

Okay, as I look back at this post, I realized I got a lot more long-winded than I wanted, but I have the dilemma of trying to figure out what to cut. My answer -- look for Part 2 of NCTE 2011 in a day or two. :) I still have stories to tell...

Skyping with Laurel Snyder

2011-12-04T13:09:00.007-05:00

I'm a little embarrassed that this post is about three weeks overdue, but the experience was so fabulous, I had to swallow my embarrassment, and deal with it. :)

On November 15, both of my language arts classes had the amazing opportunity to experience a Skype visit with Laurel Snyder. This visit occurred after we had spent about a month reading her latest book, Bigger Than a Breadbox, aloud in class. Laurel was so warm, gracious, and personable, it felt like we were guests in her home (which by the way, we could see over her shoulder). One of my students is a huge dog lover, and when it came time to ask questions, his had nothing to do with Bigger Than a Breadbox or Laurel as a writer; he wanted to know all about her dog to whom we were introduced. She was as delighted with his question as with any that dealt more with the purpose of our visit - discussing Bigger Than a Breadbox and learning more about being an author.

First of all, if you haven't yet read Bigger Than a Breadbox, I would strongly encourage you to do so (I posted a mini-review here). This book contains so many meaty topics that just beg for deeper conversations. Second, I have to tell you how we scored this visit. Because I follow Laurel Snyder on twitter, I was immediately intrigued when she offered to do free Skype visits for the first 100 people who contacted her. As an educator who wants her children to be well versed when talking about authors and how they create, I immediately contacted Laurel. I'm thankful that twitter gives me a platform to interact with authors and other educators in ways that benefit my students.

Okay, back to my point: Laurel's Skype visit. As she talked to the students, I jotted down some things she said that I knew I would want to come back to and talk about further:

Authors write to know what you didn't even know you knew.
The main character, Rebecca, is based on her own life. She also had divorced parents.
In 4th grade Laurel started writing stories , but she didn't know who to share them with. She ended up sharing with her best friend, Susan. Turns out they had similar leanings for stories - fairy tales.
In 7th grade, her mom moved her family, and a comment from a teacher stopped her from ever wanting to share her personal writing again
She was an adult before she went back to writing what she loved - fairy tales.
But, even given that, she told the kids that sometimes you do end up being what you wanted to be in 4th grade -- hold on to your dreams!
It took her 49 submissions before her first book was accepted.
The character of Miss Adda is loosely based on her grandmother.
**Great advice to students -- it's the tiny details that make your story real (for those of you that know the book, this came after one of the students commented on how many details were written about Miss Adda).
She is currently working on a prequel to Bigger Than a Breadbox - my students were so excited, begging me to read it to them this year. Then Laurel had to explain to them the process of publishing a book takes several years. :)

These are just some of the snippets I wrote down. But you can see how powerfully my students were connected to what they considered a "real" author. After talking to Laurel, they realized they are "real" authors as well.

Thanks so much to Laurel for such an amazing visit, one we will come back to multiple times this year.

Poetry Potpourri Presentation for NCTE 2011

2011-11-29T21:25:00.006-05:00

I had the amazing privilege of working with two very smart ladies while putting together our presentation on poetry for NCTE this year (titled "Poetry Potpourri"). Katie Doherty (some of you may know her from her informative Choice Literacy articles and videos) and her mom, Dee Doherty, were my cohorts in crime, and we had a blast the last few months, while learning a lot from each other at the same time.

It's been a little over a week since we presented in Chicago, and we wanted to share our slideshow with whomever might be interested. We are attaching the googledoc link to our slides and also the link to the resources in our handout.

We hope you enjoy and can find something to use for yourselves.

Link to slideshow...

Link to resource list...

The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale

2011-11-20T16:57:00.006-05:00

I found this title on one of the many Newbery prediction lists I've been looking over and just liked the title. After reading it, I understand why some feel it may be in the running for some prestigious awards in January. The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale by Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall Wright is quite the Olde English adventure.

Based in Dickens era England, alley cat Skilley decides he is tired of life in the mean streets of London and decides to become a mouser at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, a London tavern famous for it's delicious cheese and for being over run by mice. The problem is, Skilley has a secret that isn't revealed until well into the story, and won't be revealed here, I hate spoilers! On one of his first days on the job he meets Pip, an intelligent little mouse who quickly figures out Skilley's secret. The two strike a win-win bargain and the tale is on.

Skilley and Pip encounter lots of colorful characters, many named for Dickens characters, as they go about protecting a secret even bigger than Skilley's. The authors do a marvelous job of creating the characters giving them life through their personality traits and quirks. The heroes are likable even with their faults and the villains, Pinch the bad alley cat, force the reader to dislike them. They are all used to create the feel of a Dickens classic that is written at a level for elementary readers. However, there are enough levels to this book that it will appeal to older readers too.

Throughout the story illustrator Barry Moser's drawings highlight important happenings making it even more appealing to younger readers. This was a quick read and would make for a really fun read aloud in the classroom.

Other Reviews:
Fuse #8
There's a Book
Twenty by Jenny

Floors by Patrick Carman

2011-11-16T19:14:00.004-05:00

I'll be honest, I haven't read a lot of Patrick Carman's books, but I know people love his work. I was fortunate enough to hear him speak at a SLJ Leadership Conference a couple of years ago, and was extremely impressed. I've been fascinated with his blending of written stories and web based features, I just haven't gotten around to reading any of his books, until now!

At our book fair in October, I saw a new book called Floors on the shelf and the back intrigued me. I recommended it to several kids who I thought it would appeal to, and reserved my copy at the local branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library in Hilliard. When I picked it up I couldn't wait to start reading and once I started I couldn't put it down.

Leo Fillmore and his father Clarence work and live in the Whippet Hotel the most unusual hotel on Earth. It occupies a large piece of land in Manhattan that would bring a fortune to the owner, Merganzer Whippet. The problem is no one has seen or heard from Merganzer in a long time. Leo misses his eccentric friend but keeping the Whippet up and running is a full time job for he and his father. On one of his daily service calls he discovers a mysterious box that leads him to a room he wasn't even aware existed which leads him to another box and so on until he collects 4 boxes in all and all is revealed.

On his quest he is introduced to a new best friend, the son of another Whippet employee is serving as doorman and interacts with a colorful cast of characters including a cranky hotel manager named Ms. Sparks who sports larger than life bee hive hair do, Mr. Phipps the Gardner who shapes the shrubbery into various animals especially ducks, Mr. Whippet's favorite animal.

Leo encounters puzzles to solve, mysterious notes to decipher and the flock of ducks that live on the roof and must be walked each day. The story of loyalty, friendship and a boy solving some difficult challenges reminded me of Charlie and Chocolate Factory and the Gollywhopper Games, two of my favorites.

I can't wait to get this into the hands of my 3rd - 5th graders and hear how they like the Whippet Hotel adventure. The good news is that it is the first in a series and it has the feel of a very popular series, and as with his other books it includes a cool interactive web site here.

Okay for Now Makes for Grand Discussion

2011-11-12T18:55:00.008-05:00

The first Grand Discussion of the school year was held last Thursday and 51 kids and parents attended. Joyce and I chose Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt. Usually leading up to the event I hear comments questioning my judgement, I don't take it personally because I know in the end, after reading and discussing even some of my most questionable book choices, the folks leave happy and understanding why I chose what I chose! With Okay for Now most liked it from the get go and understood completely why it was chosen. So many themes and topics for discussion that it was tough to get it all in in an hour, but we did our best and another successful event is in the books.

As I looked over our list of previous titles, it appears that author Gary D. Schmidt knows how to create books that create conversation! We've done 3 of his titles, Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, our very first Grand Discussion title, Wednesday Wars and of course, Okay for Now. We started the evening with an interview with the author that some p arents found on line and ended the evening with Joyce interviewing several participants for her Dublin Lit Conference presentation in February.

Great Picture Book for Veteran's Day

2011-11-10T03:15:00.004-05:00

A quick post today. A few years ago, a colleague introduced me to a great book to share with students on Veteran's Day. Here is a link to the original post.

America's White Table is a great way to celebrate and remember all those who have fought in wars to protect our country.

With November 11 being tomorrow, I thought this was a great time to bring this out from our archives.

A Great Moment in Conferring

2011-11-08T20:40:00.004-05:00

I went to school feeling sick today, and didn't have a whole lot of energy. I started my morning with reading workshop, and the most amazing thing happened. While conferring with a student who struggles with his reading identity, he said the following to me (I am quoting as much as possible, but there may be a paraphrase here or there):

"Mrs. T, I started reading the 39 Clues series today."

I asked him why.

"I've been watching Luke read the series and he has inspired me." (inspired was definitely his word, not mine!!)

I inquired again about why he was inspired.

"When he reads this series, he gets so into the book, he forgets that all the rest of the class is in the room. I want to know what that feels like."

OMG!! I don't know what brought more goosebumps:

the fact that as a reader who struggles to find good choices for himself, he observed a classmate and wanted that same feeling as a reader
his language about the entire thing
the fact that his classmate is so immersed in his book, he is inspiring all those around him

I think it's a combination of all three things. It was truly a great moment in conferring!!

A Writing Celebration

2011-11-04T23:46:00.009-04:00

Well, the celebration definitely isn't mine; I just looked back at my last post and realized it was over a month ago -- yikes!! I have a huge list of ideas to blog about, but just haven't found the time to do so. With NCTE 2011 just around the corner, I'm hoping to turn that around now.

But, on to the real writing celebration. Recently, we did some mini-research in our classroom of the 28 finalists for the next Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The students' research, learning, and final presentations were amazing! But, as a teacher, the huge excitement came after this mini-research was done, and my 48 students went back to choosing what they wanted to write again.

Much to my delight, with all the emphasis we have put on wondering this year and their enjoyment of the research process, many students chose to research yet another topic in which they were interested. I could talk about each and every one of them, but tonight I want to focus on one group of girls.

After hearing me talk about visiting the 9/11 Memorial on a recent trip to New York City, they wanted to know more about what happened that day in 2001. When I asked them why, they said they were either not born yet or were just babies; they wanted to learn more about this tragedy. So, they were off, checking with many sources to find the information for which they were looking. While that was delightful, it is how they made our school setting work for them as learners that is really the celebration of this anecdote.

The art teacher in our school runs an art studio -- students have a variety of choices as artists each time they enter the art room. These four girls first used their choice in writing workshop to investigate the information about 9/11, then they used their choice to build the twin towers in the construction area of the art studio during art period, and finally they used their choice on how to publish their information to share it with their classmates -- they put all the information about 9/11 on the towers they had built. They also added a backdrop for the beautiful blue September sky of 9/11, and designed a way to have a paper airplane fly into their towers.

I am so proud of these girls; they truly have made our school work for who they are as learners and communicators. And the pride they had in what they discovered and how intrigued and impressed their classmates were -- it just can't be measured!! Like I said, this is a real writing celebration!! And a celebration for the wonder of CHOICE as well!

3 Picks From THE PIT

2011-10-22T10:41:00.002-04:00

It's been a busy year in THE PIT, I've already shared 10 fun read alouds with the kids, and some are already coming out on top as favorites. Here are three that have been HUGE hits in THE PIT!

Dinosaur vs. The Library by Bob Shea: I read Dinosaur vs. Bedtime a couple of years ago and it was so much fun (that means LOUD) that when I saw the dinosaur was taking on the library, I had to read it in THE PIT. It doesn't disappoint and probably my favorite part are the baby chicks that look a lot like tennis balls with legs that follow the dinosaur through the story. When the dinosaur arrives at the library and the text says something about roaring where no one has roared before, there was always at least one of my kids that said, "Except for this library, you roar all the time!" I guess I've earned the title of The Loud Librarian and I wear it proudly. This is the second Bob Shea I've read this year, we also did I'm a Shark to the delight of the Bailey students. I can't wait until February when Bob Shea will visit Dublin for our annual Dublin Literacy Conference. After viewing his video about the Dinosaur books, I'm pretty impressed with his roaring!

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen: I LOVE THIS BOOK! The bear loses his hat and walks through the woods asking various animals if they have seen it. The rabbit is wearing a red pointy hat but denies everything. In the end the bear solves the mystery and gets his hat back. This creates a new mystery, what happened to the rabbit? We discussed this in THE PIT, does he eat the rabbit? sit on and squash the rabbit? stuff the rabbit back in the hat and put it on his heat? It's up to the reader, but the bear does have a bit of a denial problem just like the rabbit. My favorite reaction to the book came from Franki at A Year of Reading. As she read the book she kept saying that she didn't see what was so funny, when she got to the end, she totally cracked up and was hooked! It was such a sudden change in responses to the book that it made me laugh too!

King Hugo's Huge Ego by Chris Van Dusen: I love a good rhyming story and this is a good rhyming story. King Hugo is a little man with a, well, you probably guessed it, a huge ego. He goes around making people bow down to him and speechifying about how wonderful he is. When he crosses a sorceress, she casts a spell that causes his head to swell every time he brags. By the end he's looking like a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon. As with all fairy tales, he finds out the reason for his fat head and changes his way. Just a heads up, this one has a bit of a romantical ending that made me break into a little bit of "Love is a Many Splendored Thing" and caused a good bit of squirming in THE PIT!

Busy September!

2011-10-01T14:28:00.004-04:00

I told my blogging partner Karen that I hadn't posted in a while, just wasn't inspired and didn't feel like I had much to say. As I look back on the first month of school, however, I realize how busy and frantic it has been, that may have had something to do with my lack of inspiration.

In the first month of school, Super Aide Yvonne moved every book in the non-fiction and fiction sections of our library. They installed an Epson Brightlink system and we had to make room for the board. Oh yeah, I've been trying to figure out this new system which I think I really like!

I reviewed and purchased nearly 60 new titles for the library. We then had to catalog and process them for library use.

I chose and read 6 new books in THE PIT;
Those Darn Squirrels and the Cat Next Door by Adam Rubin
SkippyJon Jones: Class Action by Judith Schachner
The Book that Zack Wrote by Ethan Long
You Will Be My Friend by Peter Brown
I'm a Shark by Bob Shea
The Greedy Sparrow by Lucine Kasbarian

I have been working on updating the Amazing Library Race using QR codes hidden in books for clues. I've run into a bit of snag in that I can't find a reader that works consistently on the desktop computers in the library. I'm working on getting some iPods with cameras but if anybody knows of a good QR reader for Mac desktops, please let me know.

In addition to all of these things I've been teaching the early library skill units, keeping up with things at home and this week book fair gets delivered and set up.

WHEW! I think I need to sit down with a stack of good books and watch the Buckeyes play football!

Wonder Jars and Wonder Wednesdays

2011-09-28T00:03:00.006-04:00

I posted a few weeks ago about how I had started Wonder Wednesday in my classroom. It has been a grand adventure, one both of my language arts classes look forward to each week.

The vehicle that I use to tie together my thinking for each Wednesday is the website Wonderopolis with its daily wonders. But oftentimes, already this early in the year, I have found that Wonderopolis provides the springboard to even bigger thinking.

Let me give an example. Last Wednesday, I went back in the archives of Wonders at Wonderopolis, and looked at the different possibilities listed under geography. I wanted to support the teacher I team with as she was starting a unit on geography with our students. The Wonder that I chose was posted last April 22 for Earth Day, and started with a video clip about the Wonders of the World. It was one of the longer videos that I had seen, but it was a great kick-off for where I wanted to go with our thinking.

To help the students think and write more critically, we created a t-chart with questions formulated after watching the video and as we looked at the focus questions Wonderopolis provided on one side. On the other, we clearly articulated in writing any new learning we had as we read the rest of the article. Great thinking abounded!!

To further our thinking about the wonders, in word study I had a large picture of Angel Falls (a possible new Wonder) displayed on our SmartBoard. The students did a Word Storm together, brainstorming all the words and phrases that came to mind as they looked at this image. What a great vocabulary builder!! Each class filled 2 entire chart papers with their words and phrases - the power of learning and building vocabulary with peers is immense!

One of the items posted in this Wonder is the fact that there is an opportunity to vote for new Wonders of the World. Wonderopolis generously provided this link, and the students found out there are 28 places nominated for this new distinction. Students will begin doing partner research on these 28 places, share what they learn with their classmates, and then each student will have a vote on choosing the next Wonders of the World in the next few weeks.

How cool is that?! And it all stemmed from the connections we made using Wonderopolis.

I'm also grateful to Wonderopolis, because they overheard a conversation I was having on twitter this summer with a few friends about the idea of having a Wonder Jar in our classrooms, and what that might look like. They supported this train of thought, and it really has guided the type of thinking we are doing in our classroom this year.

I had to think about what a Wonder Jar might look like for me. As you can see in the picture, what has happened is that the Wonder Jar for both language arts classes I teach is from Sam's Club, and used to be full of Cheetos (what happened to them is a conversation for another article) :). I wanted this to be a year full of all students wondering and inquiring and researching topics of interest to them. I thought it would be fun to capture that wondering and make it visible to all.

Our Wonder Jar is where we put things that represent what we are wondering about. One of my students wonders about BigFoot; he put a small plastic BigFoot in the Wonder Jar. Another student wondered about how glue is made; a glue stick was deposited into the jar. Another student is fascinated about the process of making ice cream; she got a cup from Coldstone to represent her thinking and put it in the Wonder Jar. The list goes on and on.

As each student shared what they were wondering, they put a replica that demonstrates what their current wonder is. As they deposit their wonders, I take pictures of them, and have put their pictures in frames throughout the room. These pictures are yet one more visible reminder that we will be a class that wonders together. I expect to change these pictures multiple times over the course of this school year. Once we investigate and learn about one wonder, we will move right on to thinking about yet something else.

The Wonder Jar is providing all of the students an opportunity to delve deeper into topics that interest and intrigue them. I noticed that in this first sharing of wonders, the students' thinking was pretty surface level. As we continue to work with wondering throughout the year, I anticipate their level of sophistication of wonders and questions to improve.

My students and I love our Wonder Wednesdays and our Wonder Jars! Thanks Wonderopolis!!

A Full Moon is Rising

2011-09-26T23:10:00.000-04:00

I love Marilyn Singer! Her poetry book Mirror, Mirror is one of the most-read books in our classroom. Children are always astounded at how the point of view changes when the lines are reversed.

So, when I saw Marilyn Singer's name on A Full Moon is Rising on the "New Books" bookshelf at my public library, I had to read it. Now that I've read it, I will truly have to have it and buy it for our classroom library!

This collection of poems reminds me a little of Amazing Faces, edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins, which I absolutely adored! Both books deal with a single topic, but throughout the book, the topic is looked at through different cultural lenses.

In A Full Moon is Rising, the focus topic is the full moon. On each new set of pages, we look at the full moon from different locations in the world. What I love about this is Singer has chosen some sites that most children might not know, so there is a world map included that highlights all the different locales. In some of these places, the reader even learns about celebrations connected to the full moon. Great learning with accessible text. And if the reader wants to know even more, Singer has included more text in the back of the book about each location, and has also included a section about the different phases of the moon. The nonfiction text and the poetry in this book blend beautifully together to share important knowledge of cultures and of moon facts.

In addition to the fact that I love Singer's poems, one of the topics covered in 5th grade is about the Earth and the moon, including its phases. This will be a great book for my teaching partner to share when she teaches science, but A Full Moon Is Rising will also be a wonderful book for me to share in my language arts classes as an example of wonderful language and good mentor text for literary nonfiction.

We're Very Versatile!

2011-09-25T10:10:00.001-04:00

At least our friends Marylee and Franki at A Year of Reading think so! As part of being chosen as versatile bloggers, we need to thank them, so...thank you! We can honestly say these wonderful ladies were our mentors -- first, by jumping into the blog world themselves and showing us how it could look. Then later, when we were ready to jump into blogging, they were there for us again, supporting us, getting us started with the tech stuff (thanks, ML!), and connecting us with other smart bloggers. There, step one done.

Step 2: List 7 things about us:

1. After this post we are 2 away from 600 blog posts...and they said it wouldn't last!

2. Our blog was "born" on a very cold Groundhog's Day 2008 at a Panera in Columbus, Ohio.

3. We will be hosting our annual Looking for Newbery series beginning in December.

4. We used to teach in the same school, and for a while, we were even at the same grade level. Then life changed for both of us, and we are no longer in the same building. We really do need to sit down more often because our conversation is always good!

5. One of our favorite things to do is to present new books to the teachers attending the Dublin Lit conference in February. We've done it for the last four years in a row! Even if no one else appreciates us, we crack each other up!

6. We still get a little giggly and excited when an author responds to one of our posts.

7. Picks From THE PIT provides some pretty good read alouds.

Step 3: List 15 (or so) blogs we follow and enjoy. This one was a little tough because a lot of the blogs we enjoy and follow have already been listed at other sites. Here a few in no particular order:

100 Scope Notes (a very smart librarian and contributor to SLJ)

James Preller (we fell in love with Jimmy when he made a visit to our school. )

Barbara O'Connor (both James and Barbara post so much more than just about their lives as authors - always entertaining!!)

Anne Marie Corgill (aka: AM Literacy Learning Log)

Kate Messner (an author and teacher extrodanaire!)

Lori's Lessons (we're not the only ones who Lori is versatile; she's gotten at least one another nomination as well!)

Word from the Corner (love Mandy's lessons, and her learning journey with her new iPads is fun to follow)

MotherReader (one of the first blogs we followed; love her 48 Hour Book Challenge)

The Reading Zone (loved her when she was blogging as a 6th grade teacher; now that she is in high school, love hearing about how English/language arts can look in that setting)

Teach Paperless (a great place where a variety of contributors think about 21st century learning)

Heavy Medal (this is a blog at SLJ that just has to be followed as we head into award season)

My World- Mi Mundo (a blog that our fellow Central Ohio blogger, Stella, writes. She's part of the Columbus Area Writing Project and she is an ELL teacher. So thoughtful!)

Carol's Corner (We've served on the Cybils NFPB panel with Carol, and Karen seems to have very similar tastes in books as Carol.)

A Book Maven's Haven (Susan and Karen connected this past year via twitter, and ended up having their classes blog together about Out of Mind, and culminated in the 2 classes having a skype book chat together. Susan works in Maine and Karen is in Ohio.)

Titanic series by Korman continues

2011-09-12T03:16:00.000-04:00

Back in January, I was lucky enough to get my hands on an ARC of a new series Gordon Korman was launching about the Titanic, titled aptly enough, Titanic. It was to be a trilogy of books. Since that time, Book One, Unsinkable, came out in May. Recently Book Two, Collision Course, arrived in bookstores on August 1, and Amazon is telling me that the final book, S.O.S., came out this past week on September 1.

While I have not gotten the third book yet, the second, Collision Course, picked up with its non-stop action right where the first book left off. We have Irish thugs chasing one of our main characters who also happens to be a stowaway on the Titanic, we have children becoming friends across socioeconomic lines, we have Jack the Ripper possibly onboard and trying to get back to what he likes to do best, we have arrogant captains trying to rush the Titanic to New York, and yes, we have the big ship hitting a huge iceberg.

Like I shared in my first review, this is a book that refuses to let you put it down, even though historically you know what is in store for these travelers. I will be fascinated to read the final book in the trilogy, as I am so invested in some of these children characters, I can't bear that they will suffer the plight that so many others did. My questions heading into the final book will be if Korman keeps it realistic, or if he tries to make it as happily ever after as a disaster can be.

Because I don't want to give much away, I won't review that final book. But I will be introducing this series to my class this Wednesday in a tub with nonfiction books about the Titanic as well. I predict that these books will have long lines of people waiting to read them!! Knowing that, I guess I will need to purchase the final book asap!!

Bigger Than a Breadbox

2011-09-10T03:33:00.002-04:00

Laurel Snyder has written several books; Penny Dreadful is the most recent. But on September 27, her latest book, Bigger Than a Breadbox, will be released. Recently on Twitter, she offered to do a free Skype visit with people who might be interested. I absolutely wanted this opportunity for my students, so I signed up. I love that an author will be joining us and sharing about herself as a writer!

But, I committed to this experience before I had even read Bigger Than a Breadbox, and I worried a little about the fact that it might not be a good read for me; I know how important my investment in a book is when I read aloud to my students. Well, consider my concerns ridiculous!! Laurel Snyder's publisher sent an ARC that I received this past week, and I read it all in one sitting Monday. I couldn't put it down. What an amazing story!!

The main character, Rebecca, is the narrator of the story. Her mom makes the decision to take Rebecca and her little brother, Lew, from their home in Baltimore to Atlanta to stay with their grandmother for an indefinite period of time. Rebecca's mom and dad have been arguing and Mom has decided she needs a break from her husband. Rebecca loves her grandmother, but Atlanta isn't her home and from day one, she is constantly trying to get back to her real home and her dad in Baltimore.

The theme of "be careful what you wish for" is important to the story. Rebecca thinks she wants/needs certain things, but finds out that getting each of those items comes with a tremendous cost.

There are so many layers to this book for discussion. Feeling invisible, children caught in situations when parents aren't getting along, being the new kid at a school, trying to fit in, magic wishes, how difficult it can be to do the right thing, sometimes the things we wish for came at someone else's expense. The list goes on and on. But Laurel Snyder weaves these important topics together seamlessly. Add to this, the fact that she blends in lyrics from a Bruce Springsteen song - I was totally hooked!

I think I'll have to gather some google images of breadboxes to build background knowledge for my students since that is such an integral part of the story. Plus, it will help them understand the gorgeous art on the front cover of Bigger Than a Breadbox.

Our visit with Laurel is one of the first weeks in November. I can't wait to first share Bigger Than a Breadbox with both of my classes, and then to Skype with Laurel! As my students track their thinking in their read aloud notebooks, I am sure they will develop many questions they want to ask about the story, some of the characters, some of Rebecca's actions, and in particular, the breadbox. I will make sure to blog about the experience afterward. I'm really looking forward to all of it!!!

R My Name is Rachel

2011-09-07T03:15:00.001-04:00

I really enjoy the versatility of Patricia Reilly Giff as an author. It is delightful to be able to show students an author like her who has written so many types of books.

R My Name is Rachel is a historical fiction piece set in the Great Depression era, specifically 1936. We see these times through the eyes of Rachel, a 13 year old. Her mother died when Rachel was young, and her dad has hit some difficult financial times, along with the rest of the country. In an effort to find a job, he packs up his family and some of their possessions into a truck and heads off to upstate New York. He has heard of a job that may be available in North Lake, and there is a farm there they can rent.

This move saddens Rachel for so many reasons. Leaving the only home she's ever known, leaving the school and the teacher who mean so much to her, leaving her best friend, leaving her neighbors, and leaving a solid adult friend, Miss Mitzi. These are all tough things, but set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, they are small concerns against the reality of survival.

And once they get to North Lake, this book is a gritty story about survival. Rachel and her two younger siblings, Joey and Cassie, are called upon to do far more than they or the reader would expect. What they are asked to do and need to do would make for great conversations with students. Would they be able to do this? What are the survival skills they do have? Do parents sometimes make decisions that are hard for their children? So many more questions as well. I envision some deep and animated conversations.

And if I didn't already like this book for so many other reasons, I would have to add these as well:

Rachel is an avid reader. It is her escape from reality at times, but it can also be a key to life solutions at other times.
Rachel is a writer. She writes many letters to her father and Miss Mitzi throughout the story.
There are not just one, but TWO teachers in this book I would like to nominate for A Year of Reading's 100 Cool Teacher's in Children's Literature!!! Mrs. Lazarus and Mrs. Collins are teachers who truly support putting books in children's hands!
I love the character of Miss Mitzi. I love her positive attitude, I love her kindness, I love her relationship with Rachel, and that's all I can tell without ruining the story.

R My Name is Rachel will have an important place in our classroom this year, rather as a read aloud, a book club, or on the shelf of "Books You Just Can't Miss!"

A Wonder Year

2011-09-04T21:04:00.000-04:00

I am looking at my classroom this year with a different lens. Instead of being a self-contained class as I have been for most of my career, I am teaching two separate sections of language arts, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.

When I tackled this endeavor, I knew it would be critical to mesh the thinking/goals/learning of both classes with my teaming partner. We sat down this summer and had several long conversations about what we wanted for our classrooms, and hashed out some big global thinking we wanted to have. The biggest take-away from our conversations was that we wanted our students to wonder/inquire/research/investigate/think critically/analyze. It wouldn't matter if it took place in a math/science/social studies classroom or in a reading/writing/word study classroom. We felt these were critical life skills we wanted our students to learn. These skills will permeate everything we do this year.

With that in mind, I borrowed some thinking from two colleagues and friends who were doing very smart things in their own classrooms. This past year, Maria introduced me to the power of Wonderopolis in her classroom as it helped her students think critically about important questions and learn to investigate topics that might be off-shoots of the original Wonder of the Day. Another colleague, Andrea, has shared much about how she looks at nonfiction on a regular basis with her students. Much of this thinking I have garnered through her articles for Choice Literacy. But, we had the opportunity to be together at a Choice Literacy workshop in Michigan this summer, and then share a 3 hour car ride home. During that time, Andrea so graciously shared with me ideas about creating community when teaming with another teacher, using nonfiction to wonder in the classroom, and teaching her students to both read and write like scientists.

So much great thinking. Now I had to find a way to make it my own. Here is my current version, though I expect to have many revisions of this thinking throughout the year. To start the year, I am establishing a routine with both classes called Wonder Wednesday. In a nutshell, this is how it will break down in the beginning:

Writing workshop -- we will experience the Wonder of the Day on Wonderopolis as an entire class. I will be modeling how I would take notes about the topic, thinking critically as a scientist. Then, I will invite students to find another Wonder they may be interested in or find a nonfiction text in our room that makes the wonder, and take notes on their own.
Soemtimes the writing we do will be about the wonders we put in our Wonder Jar (more about that in an upcoming post). We will be digging deep into things we wonder about and asking good questions and reflecting like scientists.

Word study -- actually this week, we will be doing something my friend, Andrea, calls "Word Storm." I will give each student a visual, and then have them use words to think about the picture. Some weeks on Wonder Wednesday, we might pull one of the words from Wonder of the Day and do a word observation. This will be our day to think about words in a different way.

Reading workshop - My mini-lessons will focus on multiple ways of understanding nonfiction text. For example, this week and next, we will be looking at the text, Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night. If you know this text, you know that we learn from both the poems in the book as well as the nonfiction text. It is important in this day and age to make sure our students have the tools to read a variety of nonfiction text.

These are not things I will only teach on Wednesdays; they will be infused throughout the year. But, on Wednesdays, all 50 of us will know we are wondering hard about how to write critically, read critically, think critically, and observe words critically. What's even more exciting is that my teammate will be joining me soon on these days to wonder with our students about her topics. They may wonder about science inquiry, they may wonder about a topic in math, or they may wonder about a concept in social studies in a deeper way.

I am so looking forward this year of wonder!

Kids Helping Kids

2011-09-03T10:16:00.002-04:00

The school year is off to a smooth start, although hectic as usual. It's always fun to catch up with the kids when they come back and visit with the parents that work so hard in our building to help make Bailey so successful. I was glad to see my friend and super parent volunteer Amy Proctor this week. She co-chairs the PTO author visit committee which has given us the chance to work together on several projects. Amy is also one of the driving forces behind the Coins for Kids that started 2 years ago. She attended a very special Grand Discussion that had some unintentional results which led to Bailey supporting Lincoln Elementary in Ashland.

Last year the group decided they would like to begin supporting a school closer to home and a connection to Weinland Park in Columbus was established. Our 5th graders raised money and bought some new playground equipment for the building as well as books. The hope behind all of this Coins for Kids thing was that their might be some opportunities to actually get the kids together for some things. Amy shared with me some exciting news about her daughter and friends who established a friendship with Weinland and have been over there several times working with the kids, playing games, and just spending time with them. She passed on the blog that the girls have started, and I wanted to pass it on to all of our Literate Lives readers.

I think it's important to highlight kids doing good things, especially when it's kids helping kids. check out Helping Weinland Park, and give these special girls some positive thoughts.

10 for 10; 10 Days Late 10 Books I had to Buy TODAY!

2011-08-20T15:25:00.015-04:00

So I missed the 10 for 10 picture book celebration 10 days ago, and this morning the Central Ohio Blogger got together over granola. Cathy and Mandy both reminded me that they noticed that there was one person that didn't participate in the event. I tried explaining that I was out of town on a college visit to Ball State, but when Mary Lee reminded me that she was in Belgium, I knew I owed them a list. Mary Lee even came up with the 10 for 10, 10 Days Late title. Once we had been to Cover to Cover, I knew what my 10 would be. I haven't been to the book store all summer so today, I was like a kid in a candy store, so here's 10 that I came out with.

1. Bailey by Harry Bliss: I read this one from the library this week and it immediately made it to my list. When I walked into Cover to Cover and saw the feature display, I knew I had a winner. It sold faster than Northstar Cafe Granola does to Central Ohio Kidlit Bloggers! Of course I love the name, Bailey, like my school, but the little dog going to school and being, as Sally says, "a little off" make Bailey a new fave and will be well received in THE PIT!

2. Those Darn Squirrels and the Cat Next Door by Adam Rubin; Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri: I already reviewed this one here and can guarantee that it will be one of the first books I read in THE PIT this year. I still haven't gotten Franki to fall in love with the squirrels, but I'm not giving up! Old Man Fookwire is one of my all time favorite characters and grumpy old men.

3. Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes by Eric Litwin; Illustrated by James Dean: Pete's back and he is ROCKIN' in his school shoes, in the cafeteria, the library, the playground, all over the school. As big of a hit that the first Pete the Cat was, I had to buy this one to ROCK THE PIT.

4. Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat by Philip C. Stead: From the same creator of 2011 Caldecott Winner A Sick Day for Amos McGee Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat is the adventure of a boy looking for his lost teddy bear, Frederick. Only, the bear isn't really lost, his parents traded him for a toaster. The story builds with interesting animal characters as the crew of the big blue boat and collage illustrations are fascinating to look at.

5. Wiener Wolf by Jeff Crosby: Wiener Dog is bored with his cooped up life and chases the call of the wild. He hooks up with a wild wolf pack and runs with the big boys...until they go hunting and catch something. Wiener Wolf longs for his quiet life back home and his friends in the dog park. When he arrives home he is welcomed with open arms and a new sweater. The story is fun and the pictures made me laugh.

6. Cookiebot: A Harry and Horsie Adventure by Katie Van Camp; Illustrated by Lincoln Agnew: The first Harry and Horsi e was a huge hit in THE PIT, especially with the younger kids, so I couldn't resist this one either. Harry wants cookies but the cookie jar is too high. He and Horsie build a robot to help get the cookies but when things get out of control, it's Horsie to the rescue.

7. Bla ckout by John Rocco: I read this one quite a while ago and sort of forgot about it. I'm so glad my friends reminded me today. It's a hot night in the city and the family is too busy on their electronics cooking to spend time together. When the lights go out the whole block comes outside to spend some quality time together. Very few words in this beautiful picture book. It's definitely on my Caldecott List.

8. I Will Not Read This Book by Cece Meng; Illustrated by Joy Ang: I'd never heard of this one, but my blogging partner Karen found it and knew I would love to read it out loud in THE PIT. I took one look and knew she was right. A boy gives every reason in the world why he will not read this book, needs a drink, to scratch his nose, to feed his fish. He gives all sorts of ways that will not force him to read this book, hanging upside down by his toe, over a cliff while tickling his feet! The book keeps building and building until he fears being dropped and then he may read the book.

9. A Place to Call Home by Alexis Deacon; Illustrated by Viviane Schwarz: The little critters are born in a small dark hole, but quickly outgrow it. They have to look for another small dark place to live, and that's where it gets funny. As they emerge into the world they are afraid they will never find another small dark place to live until one puts a cup on his head, another a straw, another a book, another a spigot, the picture of this is TOO FUNNY! Done sort of in a graphic novel style, I still haven't finished reading the book because every time I look at those critters with those things on their heads I laugh out loud! I think the kids in THE PIT will too. I almost didn't buy this one, but super sales person Beth made me take a look at it. She and I share a similar sense of humor when it comes to picture books, so she was pretty sure I would like it. She's good!

10. Time to Eat by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page: I reviewed it here. You can't really go wrong with anything this team puts together! Every one is high quality non fiction.

That's my 10 for 10, 10 days late. There were more purchases made today and I also picked up a couple ARCs, so all in all it was a good morning with the Central Ohio Bloggers.

Central Ohio Bloggers Together Again!

2011-08-20T11:53:00.013-04:00

Our favorite independent children's bookstore, Cover to Cover, just opened a new area for adult reading. That warranted a celebratory breakfast at Northstar Cafe (I think there were 6 out of 9 orders for granola - many of us following that trendsetter, Bill!), followed by a trip to the newly renovated Cover to Cover.

The new area looks great and is full of potential. I found several books that are on my TBR list, but I held off today because I knew I would be buying many children's books. I'm so excited for the owners, Sally and Randy, as they make a foray into a new market for them.

I love my blogger friends, but if you've ever been book shopping with another book lover, you know how incredibly dangerous that can be. Multiply one book-loving friend by 8, and you know I had some serious book-buying issues today. :) You know, those people who put a book in your hand and say you just have to read it, and you realize they are right?!! A huge thanks to Nicole, Mandy, Cathy, Deb, Franki, MaryLee, Tony, and Bill for all the "help" you gave me finding books to add to my enormous pile. I've attached a picture of Bill's pile (right) as well as my pile (left) - we were declared the "winners" of blog-who-spent-the-most-money today.

I also love that, in addition to our book buying frenzy and great talks about our classrooms, we also make time for fun and lots of laughter. Who could resist sticking their faces in the cut-outs, especially the Fancy Nancy one?! Certainly not Mary Lee/ Franki and Bill / me.

I feel so fortunate to follow, and learn from, all these smart ladies and gentlemen on twitter, as well as their blogs. Our ability to gather like we did today is just a double bonus. Central Ohio bloggers rock!!

What Does PD Look Like? (Part 2)

2011-08-14T13:43:00.000-04:00

About 2 weeks ago, I shared some of my summer PPD (personal professional development). I said there would be another installation of that thinking, so here goes!

I had an amazing opportunity to present at a Choice Literacy workshop on workshops in the primary and intermediate classrooms with Katie (Creative Literacy). Those of you who have prepared for a half-day or a whole-day workshop know that your learning really starts months before the actual workshop. Katie and I spent a lot of time together reflecting about our workshop practices, teasing out those big beliefs we both share. Our conversation as we put together our presentation was priceless as a learning tool for me.

Some of my cohorts from the Conferring #cybperPD decided we needed a trip together to IKEA, about 2 hours from here. Our initial goal was simple: find a great stool/seat to be able to pull up alongside students while we conferred with them. The trip more than exceeded the initial goal. A 2 hour trip there, MANY actual hours in the store, and a two hour trip home allowed for some funny, personal, and yes, also very rich learning conversations! I know how much learning I took away from these smart ladies, and I hope they took something away from my being there too. :) A huge thanks to Mandy, Cathy, and Deb for such an amazing day together.

Like many educators, I take the opportunity in the summer to focus on a few professional books. I read many good books, but the two that will have the biggest impact on what I do in the classroom this next year are Conferring by Patrick Allen and Real Revision by Kate Messner. I've said much about Patrick's book while writing my reflections, but I have to say if you teach writing, and you haven't yet read Kate's book, it's a must read!!! First of all, she's a teacher, having the same experiences we all do in writing workshop. But here's the genius of her book -- she is an avid writer and has published many books already, including this one. Truly, I'm not sure where she finds all the time, but I am mesmerized as I read how she approaches one of the hardest parts of writing, revision. She does it in such a real way. I have taken so much away from her thinking. But, if that's not enough, she has other authors give revision tips throughout the book. What a great hook with kids!

Another great PPD resource this summer was twitter. I've had family, friends, and colleagues wonder why I involve myself in a social networking site that seems (to them) to be full of minutiae. For me, it is one of the best PPDs in which I've ever participated. As I think about many things in which I participated professionally this summer, they all stem from twitter. Whether it's following a certain person who shares great reading titles, or following authors like Kate Messner, Patrick Allen, Barbara O'Connor, and Louise Borden, I am smarter because of what they share. And then certain people on twitter sponsor events - the two most noticeable for me this summer were the Conferring #cyberPD and the #pb10for10 where educators from all over and all age groups shared 10 picture books they couldn't live without. What an amazing resource! I have also tried to participate in some "chats" on twitter this summer -- an easy one to try out if you're a bookaholic like me is the #titlechat led by @donalynbooks (The Book Whisperer) and @paulwhankins on the last Sunday evening of each month at 8:00 PM EST. So many great finds during this hour long chat.

And, the last summer PPD I always participate in is the opportunity to catch up on the most current children's books. What would a summer be without reading and professional development?!!

10 For 10 Event - 2011 version (karen)

2011-08-10T19:06:00.014-04:00

Last year, when I participated in this fun event, I focused on picture books I used in multiple ways as mentor texts in my classroom. The picture books I chose this year are all nonfiction or informational. Their strengths lie in the fact they are full of wonderful information, they can easily be used to work on comprehension strategies, and they are all wonderful mentor texts for writing. Like the books I shared last year, these books will be ones our class will come back to time and time again.

So, with no further ado, here is my 2011 10 For 10:

1) Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Rick Allen. This book deserved every award it received this past year. It is a gorgeous book about creatures and events of the night. The pictures are very dark, appropriately so, given the setting of night. What I love about this book the most is how on one side of the 2-page spread is a poem about the creature, full of amazing, beautiful language. On the other side, is a clear concise nonfiction text that shares further information about the animal. When doing research last year, several of my students modeled their writing presentation like this book.

2) Can We Save the Tiger? by Martin Jenkins and illustrated by Vicky White. The layout of this book is gorgeous; I recently handed this book out to participants in a workshop, and you could hear gasps all over the room as they looked at the illustrations. Once you get past how beautiful the book is, the reader can then focus on the text which is equally as powerful. This picture book will again serve as a nonfiction writing mentor. In addition, when I got this book last year, the focus on saving the environment and specific animals were great lessons for students. It allowed us to talk about cause/effect and problem/solution over and over and over. What a great way to look at real problems in our world with a beautiful book.

3) Hot Diggity Dog: The History of the Hot Dog by Adrienne Sylver and illustrated by Elwood H. Smith. This is a very visually appealing nonfiction text, starting with the front cover where a hot dog is designed as a space ship. Fun for the reader! So many times in some of the "traditional" nonfiction texts for children, there are subheadings, fun facts, and informational text, but this book has taken those components and made them both easier, and more fun, to read. Each subheading starts on a new 2-page spread, and there is great information for the reader to find on each page. There are vocabulary words on the side, fun facts, easy narrative text to read about the subtopic, and great illustrations. Last year, this was a widely popular nonfiction writing mentor text as well as a great text for me to use time and time again with nonfiction comprehension strategies and vocabulary conversations.

4) Energy Island: How One Community Harnessed the Wind and Changed Their World by Allan Drummond. Love, love, love this book! It takes an important topic like renewable and non-renewable energies and makes it incredibly friendly for students to understand. The narrative text tells the story of an island in Denmark, Samso. This island has strong winds that blow across it, and we find out how those winds were harnessed in a way that brought energy to Samso. The best part of this story however is the message that one person can make a difference. The actions of one farmer and one scientist ended up changing the thinking of the entire island population. Better yet, they started small and built up to bigger ways to harness the wind for energy.

5) Faith by Maya Ajmera Magda Nakassis, and Cynthia Pon. I read this book last year, but I had forgotten about it until I reread it a workshop this summer. It is a beautiful portrayal of what faith looks like in many different religions and cultures, using expressive photographs of children engaging in various aspects of their faith. As we become a more global society, and as our classrooms reflect that change, it is important to honor those cultures, traditions, and faiths. Equally important as honoring, however, is the need to expose children who only look at the world with one lens to a variety of different lenses. It doesn't take away from their own faith and beliefs, but allows them to make connections to others as well.

6) Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrated by Brian Pinkney. This is the story of the four college students who went into a Woolworth's hoping to get a cup of coffee and a doughnut. The text is written in verse with the phrase (or something similar to it) repeating over and over: They waited and wanted " a doughnut and coffee, with cream on the side." This patient waiting, respectful at all times, regardless of the hate directed to them, or things being thrown on them, is such a great conversational opening for students about similar topics. It shares with them how awful things were back in the 1960s, and allows us to talk about whether or not things have changed. This is important talk to have with children in this day and age. Andrea Davis Pinkney's words are brilliant and Brian Pinkney's illustrations are superb. This is a book that is shared over and over for so many reasons.

7) America's White Table by Margot Theis Raven and illustrated by Mike Benny. A colleague introduced me to this book about 5 years ago, and I've used it every November 11 (Veteran's Day) since then. This story is informational, while having a fictional narrative (so I'm stretching me category a little here). However, this book beautifully tells a tradition of setting a small table complete with white tablecloth, black napkin, turned-over glass, white candle, red rose in a vase tied with red ribbon, lemon slice, grains of salt on a plate, and an empty chair. The importance of each of these items is explained in greater detail. Throughout the book, the readers find the words of "America the Beautiful". It is a touching story with a backdrop of history.

8) How the Sphinx Got to the Museum by Jessie Hartland. This was one of the Cybils nonfiction picture book nominees this past year, and I fell in love with it. The author takes the reader from the time 1470 B.C. when the Sphinx was first designed to recent times when the Sphinx was brought to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. So much to appreciate about the book. First, this is an add-on story where each person starting with the Pharaoh who ordered the Sphinx to be built and the sculptor who sculpted it. Everytime someone new deals with the Sphinx it is added in a different font and color and then everything that happened previously is repeated also. Second, the vocabulary in this book is amazing. Through each initial add-on, the reader learns something new about that person or person's occupation. Finally, it's great that students are exposed to a "how did that happen?" in the real world. Great picture book!

9) The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Suzy) by Barbara Kerley and illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham. Though students may not be all that familiar with Mark Twain, having the story told through his daughter's (Suzy) words helps bring it to a kid-friendly level. As a lover of words, I couldn't help but be delighted that actual phrases from Mark Twain are included. Because his words sound different from the way students talk, it makes for great conversation to discuss what exactly his phrases mean. In addition, a genius move on the part of the publisher/author/illustrator is that actual journal entries from Suzy are sewn into the binding of the book. It is so fun to turn the page and find a "journal" with the regular text. This is an appealing biography for students.

10) I wanted to include 2 biographies, and it was sooooo hard to commit to just 2, but if I'm not going to talk about Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, and Slave by Laban Carrick Hill, AND if I'm not going to talk about Henry Aaron's Dream by Matt Tavares (I know, I know! I'm so cheating right now!), I'll have to share my final pick which is Mermaid Queen by Shana Corey and illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham (same illustrator as Mark Twain book). I fell in love with this book 2 years ago. The colors in the book are amazing, and Fotheringham does an amazing job having "waves of water" on every page; it totally ties the story together visually. This is another great mentor text if a student was writing a biography. The author plays with font and words, and the language is much fun to discuss. The fact that this is about a strong woman who didn't fear being different is just icing on the cake!

So, there you have it. My 10 (or really 12) for 10. Great nonfiction and informational picture books. Each has an important place in our class learning, thinking, writing, reading, and discussions.

Thanks so much to Mandy and Cathy for hosting this 2nd annual event. Now that I've finished my post, can't wait to read what others have on their lists!!!

More Potential PICKS FROM THE PIT!

2011-08-09T11:19:00.008-04:00

I'm still building my list of read alouds for the year, constantly on the lookout for the books that will make the cut for THE PIT! Here are three more candidates.

Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake by Michael B. Kaplan; illustrated by Stephane Jorisch: Betty Bunny is a picky eater who doesn't enjoy trying new things. Her mom talks her into trying chocolate cake and of course she falls in love saying,"I'm going to marry chocolate cake!" As the story goes on she is obsessed with chocolate cake and will go to any length to get it. She becomes quite contrary over chocolate cake and has to learn some discipline and patience waiting for more. Very fun story and excellent illustrations. The surprise ending will make it a fun read aloud.

More Reviews:
Waking Brain Cells
Read it A gain Mom! (cool blog name)

A Pet for Miss Wright by Judy Young; Illustrated by Andrea Wesson: Miss Wright is an author who works alone. When she wishes for some companionship Miss Wright heads to the pet store and goes through several different animals that just don't seem to work out. Finally she picks out a dog who not only is good company, but also an inspiration for her writing. The adventures with the animals that don't make the cut provide some very funny stuff and I love the illustrations.

More Reviews:
Buckeye Bookworm (cool blog name)
Through the Looking Glass

The Pig Kahuna by Jennifer Sattler: Two pig brothers wander the beach looking for "treasure." The treasure they find is probably trash to most people, but they find uses for the stuff they find. When a surfboard washes up on the beach they collect it, give it a face and call it Dave. Neither one of them thinks to actually surf on the board, that's dangerous, however, when the board washes out to the waves with one of the pigs aboard, the brothers are introduced to a whole new beach adventure. Jennifer Sattler's other books, Sylvie and Chick n' Pug have been very popular in THE PIT so I'm pretty sure The Pig Kahuna will be loved and not stay on the shelves very long.

More Reviews:
Jen Robinson's Book Page
Time Out New York Kids

Me & Jack Would Be a Good Read Aloud Dog Book

2011-08-05T08:45:00.003-04:00

First off, Me & Jack by Danette Haworth is a dog book. You know the type, boy meets dog, falls in love with dog, dog gets into trouble, everyone but the boy doubt the dog, and in the end the dog...

But as you read Me & Jack, you realize it's more than a dog book. It's a book about families adjusting to changes. Joshua Reed and his father are adjusting to life without a mom and wife. Josh's mom died of cancer and the two of them are still figuring out how to get along without her. One way that Josh's dad thinks will work is to get a dog for Josh.

It's a book about a time in our country's history when people all over, including a remote area of Pennsylvania are trying to figure out how to get along with one another. Me & Jack is set during the Vietnam war and Josh's dad is an Air Force recruiter. This adds to his burden, he's busy with work, trying to do his job but taking grief from anti war protesters and fathers who don't want their boys going over there. He's also worried about Josh's safety at home alone, so on their second day in their new community they go to the pound and get a dog.

It's a book about people and Danette Haworth does a fabulous job of writing characters. Josh is a typical new kid who knows how to read a new place with new kids because, as an Air Force kid he's moved around a lot. He has a shoebox from each place he's lived with things he's collected to help him remember each place. Allen Prater is the perfect, unlikeable bully to keep the story moving. As a reader I was always wondering what he would do next, I never thought good things about Allen, and sometimes I was right. Ray is Allen's cousin, sort of the anti-Allen, a good and loyal friend for Josh and his friend Jack. Josh's dad is strong and smart, like a recruiter should be. He's also there for Josh and really tries to make things right. Even though I was upset when he doubted his son, it made sense too. Finally, there's Mark, a recent returnee from Vietnam who experiences the ugliness that was happening when he got home. He even provides Josh with the opportunity to see what his fellow countrymen were doing. As a good Marine, Mark stays strong and doesn't disgrace the uniform. All strong characters and all well written.

But as I said, Me & Jack by Danette Haworth is a dog book, so it has to have a dog. I liked that it wasn't a common dog like a beagle or coon dog or retriever of some sort. Jack is a rare Pharaoh hound. He is bred to hunt and kill and bring back food for the table. When he is on to something his ears, eyes and nose blush and he's off to the hunt. That's where the trouble comes in, people find out what he can do and soon he is blamed for a string of small game killings in the community. Even though Jack can't talk, he expresses so much in his character. He's strong and loyal and a good friend to Josh.

I'll be recommending this to my students in grades 3, 4, and 5 as well as my teachers for a possible read aloud.

Me & Jack is a dog book, full of cliff hangers and excellent characters all brought together in a satisfying ending.

More Reviews;
You've GOTTA Read This!
Kim Kasch Blogsite
National Book

What Does PD Look Like? (Part 1)

2011-08-01T12:58:00.016-04:00

Wow! That is the only word that comes to mind when I think about my professional development this summer. I think I should rename it PPD - PERSONAL professional development. This entire summer, I've been thinking about topics that are meaningful to me; exploring concepts or practices I'd like to refine in my workshop practice. The take-away from all of this -- mapping out and planning my own personal learning makes it very powerful.

Over the next few days, I'm going to share some of the ways I've been thinking about learning and workshop this summer.

One of the first activities in which I participated was #cyberPD chat. A group of teachers came together on twitter; we had all put Patrick Allen's book, Conferring: The Keystone of Reader's Workshop, on our professional TBR pile. Led by our gracious hosts, Cathy, Laura, and Jill, we spent a month looking at Patrick's book, reading it, responding about sections on our blogs, reading others' posts, responding to their thinking, and then meeting Patrick Allen online last Monday for a twitter conversation about conferring. Talk about a PD that had me entirely focused! So many ways in which to participate and think about conferring. I feel like the conferring part of my workshop will be stronger because of my active participation.

To follow up from this #cyberPD conversation, a small group of us got together to talk about using Evernote as a documentation tool while conferring. Cathy, Deb, Maria, and I all gathered around my kitchen table this past week, four of us actually sitting at the table, and Susan Dee from Maine, joining us on computer via Skype. Two benefits showed up here. First, the connected learning piece. All five of us were connected even though we teach in 3 different school districts and 4 different school buildings. Twitter has brought us together in powerful ways. We can truly form PLNs that span the world. That being said, the 2nd benefit of our meeting was the ability to sit side by side and talk together in person. We could talk in real-time about what we were doing and we could share our thinking on the spot and make it immediately visible to others. Non-stop learning took place that afternoon (ok, and some great chips and queso were eaten as well - sorry about that Susan!). Again, I had many great take-aways about my teaching practice from this personal PD session.

In an effort to not make each post too lengthy, I'll leave you with these two opportunities for now. Check back in the coming days for other PPD in which I've participated and learned. And in the meantime, what have your personal professional development learning opportunities been this summer? Would love to hear about them!!

3 New Non Fiction Picture Books On My Shopping List

2011-07-26T09:14:00.006-04:00

I'm preparing my shopping list for Cover to Cover when my budget opens again and I can start buying books for the library. I reviewed three new picture books here. I've also been looking for non-fiction picture books that I want to add to our Bailey collection.

Time to Eat by Steven Jenkins and Robin Page: I don't know how Steve Jenkins keeps up with all of his projects, but everything he puts out is good. Animal eating habits are covered in this book. The weird diets, the weird way some animals eat, and the amazing amounts that some animals eat are all presented in short, easy to read paragraphs. I think one of my favorite factoids is a human would have to drink like 6000 milkshakes in order to eat as much as a tick, comparisons like that are fascinating to me and I think kids too. The fact that Jenkins and Page cover so much info in such short presentations is one of my favorite things about their books. As always, the illustrations are amazing and the back has additional information on all of the animals in the book.

Just Fine the Way They Are: From Dirt Roads to Railroads to Interstates by Connie Nordhielm Wooldridge; Illustrated by Richard Walz: This book tells the story of our nation's roads beginning with dirt roads to our first National Road Route 40 and moves through to today's super highways. I thought it was interesting and a great timeline book that could be used for teaching that concept. I liked how the author brought in the "fear of change" theme throughout and how, thank goodness, that fear was ignored and progress was made. The illustrations by Richard Walz are bright and colorful and fun to look at. The Columbus connection made this an especially interesting book for me.

If Rocks Could Sing: A Discovered Alphabet by Leslie McGuirk: I'm sort of picky about buying ABC books, they have to really stand out somehow, because there are SO many of them. This one passes the test. Rocks sculpted by ocean waves are amazing things to me and apparently its the same for author/photographer Leslie McGuirk who spent years finding the letters for this book. She has used weathered rocks that look like letters to create the pictures in this book. I think kids will be intrigued by the fact that all of these rocks were shaped by nature and were just found on Florida beaches. It may give them something to think about and on their next trip to the beach.

The Six Crowns-New Fantasy Series for Younger Readers

2011-07-23T09:11:00.004-04:00

Those of you that have been around Literate Lives know that I'm not a big fantasy guy. Since moving into the library 4 years ago I've read more fantasy than in my entire life. I'm always happy when I find one that I like because I know it will be accessible to kids who aren't fantasy lovers either. The Six Crowns: Trundle's Quest by Allan Jones with illustrations by Gary Chalk, looks like it will be a great addition not only for introducing kids to fantasy, but also for lower grade readers.

The series is called The Six Crowns which refers to the Badgers' Crowns, crystal, iron, flaming fire, ice, wood and carved stone, which were lost when the explosion occurred and the badger lands were broken into "space islands." Trundle is a simple little hedgehog, the lamplighter for his community a job that has passed down generation to generation in his family. He's happy with his life in Port Shiverstones where they grow cabbage. He looks forward to going home each night to a cup of cabbage tea, a bowl of cabbage soup, a warm fire and a good book. All of this is interrupted when he answers the door and finds Esmeralda, a Roamany Hedgehog.

The Roamany hedgehogs are known to possess magic and Esmeralda has used her magic to look into the future. What she sees is her being accompanied by a lamplighter to find the Six Badger Crowns. Trundle doesn't really see himself in the role of a hero on a quest, but when Esmeralda reveals that she is being chased by the Pirate Hogs led by Captain Grizzletusk, he is forced into action.

What follows is an exciting escape to another "space island" sailing on wind ships. They are captured and let go and captured and escape. They fight of pirates and slave masters and unscrupulous pub owners. They break windows to steal a sward, meet a minstrel squirrel and discover one of the six crowns. All of it adds up to a fun, suspenseful, can't put it down story that is told in 151 pages, the perfect length in my opinion. I'll be sharing this book with all of my kids and recommending to some good 2nd grade readers and everyone in grades 3rd through 5th.

Other Reviews:
Mundie Kids
Sacremento Book Review

Conferring - Walk-aways (Part 3)

2011-07-20T03:15:00.002-04:00

In this final reflection post about Conferring: The Keystone of Reader's Workshop by Patrick Allen, I thought it would be a great opportunity to talk about some of my "walk-aways", to coin a term used by Patrick. He defines walk-away as "a tool or strategy used or discovered as students negotiate text and develop the capacity for independence."

After spending time with Patrick and his thinking these past few weeks, I've developed some walk-aways of my own; some tools that will allow me to negotiate my conferring with students and help me develop capacity for fine-tuning these skills to meet my needs and the needs of my students.

So, with no further ado, here are my final walk-aways:

I want to be more brave about conferring this year. As I read about Patrick recording hours and hours of conferences and then having a colleague come in and videotape him as well, it reinforced for me the importance of opening myself up in ways that allow for analyzing words and strategies used with students. This is the very essence of a reflective teacher; someone constantly doing action research to discover best practices.
To tag onto this first point, I plan on recording (video and audio) my conferences with students this year, spending time analyzing what happened in the conferences, and refining my conferring skills and ability to help students grow with the evidence I gather.
Patrick approaches each conference as a case study of the student - what the student says, what he says, teaching implications, his thinking. Gathering specific data like this allows us to understand our students' needs in much deeper ways than a number from a standardized or state test (I know, I know - I'm preaching to the choir here!).
As I reflect back on recent years, I know my data collection hasn't been as thorough as Patrick's, but has been incredibly in-depth for the first 2 months of school. At our first conferences, parents are amazed at what I know about their child as readers/writers and how well it is documented. It's what happens next that I need to fine-tune. In addition, to taking better conference notes, I plan on not slacking after my initial burst of knowing students. This year, I will look at learning about my students not as a short race, but as a year-long marathon. That puts an entirely different context on how I plan to confer.
This last point ties in to a great quote Patrick includes from David Elkind: "Education is not a race. Learning and education are lifelong processes that come to an end only when we do." So truly, it shouldn't be a "race to the top", but rather learning forever.
Patrick shares an analogy of learning to building with tinker toys (page 156). He says, "We should observe children tinkering with words, sentences, and whole text." And if we observe carefully enough, we can help build something wonderful -- "independent and engaged readers who walk away from conferences with strategies and tools to help them become confident, effective, and deeper readers."
Finally, Patrick ends his book with the subtitle, "Conferring Ain't Easy", followed by multiple premises he has discovered in his study of conferring. Pages 176 - 180 are full of the nitty-gritty of possible roadblocks to strong conferring and what we, as teachers, can do about that. A must read section!! My favorite two are "What Was the Question?" and "You Need a Mint."

I will miss hearing Patrick's voice as I read - as I said in my last post, he writes in such a charming way, I'm sure he is talking personally to me. But even though my book is falling apart with so much use, I will be coming back time and again for "refresher courses" when I feel like my conferring needs a fine-tuning. Patrick's voice will never really leave my head, and all the smart things he has so diligently discovered through analyzing his own conferring will continue to guide my best practice while conferring myself.

Thanks so much to Cathy Mere, Jill Fisch, and Laura Komos for organizing this #cyberPD on twitter for Conferring. It has drastically changed my thinking, and when I read what the other participants share each week, it furthers my thinking even more. What a wonderful opportunity this has been to engage in professional development that has personal meaning for me!! It's interesting to note that all three of these ladies are primary teachers. It proves what I've thought all along - best practice happens in similar ways at all grade levels.

This week, the rest of the conversations can be found at Camp Read-a-Lot. Thanks to Laura for hosting!!

Future PICKS FROM THE PIT

2011-07-19T09:05:00.008-04:00

I've read quite few new picture books this summer and just realized I hadn't posted any of them. I'll try to get a few of them done over the next week or so. When my budget opens again, I'll be headed to my favorite book store, Cover to Cover, to make some purchases.

13 Words by Lemony Snicket: I've never been a fan of Lemony, I thought the Unfortunate Event books were just weird and creepy. I know, kids loved them and that's great, but they weren't for me. This book is a bit out there too, but what else would we expect from this author. Lemony takes 13 random completely unrelated words and turns them into a totally random story about a dog, a bird and an opera singer. While I'm not a huge fan of the book myself, I can certainly see some uses in the classroom for creative writing. It might be fun to choose a number of words in some random fashion and see what the kids come up with. Sort of like Mad Libs only different.

Skippyjon Jones: Class Action by Judith Schachner: I'm a HUGE fan of the Siamese cat who thinks he's a chihuahua, he makes me laugh every time! This episode is no exception. Skippy goes to school to help his friends the chimichangas take on the bully, a teacup chihuahua that wears a sweater and rules the school. Plenty of PIT sing along and clapping will follow. Check out this muy cool website!

The Crows of Pearblossom by Aldous Huxley Illustrated by Sophie Blackall: When I was a kid, my mom signed me up for the Weekly Reader Summer Book Club. As a member I received a new hardback book each month or so. There were some real classics, Fredrick, Lyle the Crocodile and The Crows of Pearblossom. I loved them all but I haven't seen a copy of the crows in forever. I was very excited to see that Sophie Blackall has released a newly illustrated version. In the story, Mr. and Mrs. Crow fool the evil rattle snake that keeps eating their eggs. I was fascinated to read in the back that this is the only children's story written by Huxley, the author of Brave New World. He wrote it as a Christmas gift for his niece. Thankfully it was illustrated and published because the original manuscript was lost in a fire. Now I just have to find my copy from the 1960s!

New Books at My House This Week

2011-07-17T15:12:00.011-04:00

This was a great week for bringing books home! On Monday I visited Cover to Cover, and as always, came home with far more than I anticipated. Here's a little synopsis of what I brought home:

How They Croaked - after my colleague and friend, Tony recommended it as a fun read, one to which he thought boys would be receptive, I decided it was a must buy.
Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer series - another recommendation to me. I watched one of my students this past year be engrossed while reading the first book in the series, and he said I needed to read it. After reading both books, I liked the second book much more than the first. These books will be good additions to our classroom library.
I read and reviewed an ARC of the new Titanic series by Gordon Korman a while ago. I know students are always fascinated by this topic. I needed to buy a copy of the first since I only had an ARC, but while at Cover to Cover scored an ARC of the 2nd book in the series. My 20 year old daughter had read the first one and loved it; she immediately read the second and said it was great.
The other book she grabbed from my pile was Divergent. She finished it in the course of 2 days. She loved it! I can't wait until I get a block of time to read it.
Another ARC I got was Pie by Sarah Weeks (So B. It). In addition to great characters, there are some very yummy pie recipes. Not a book to read if you're craving sweets!
Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading - currently reading this and am very amused so far.
Real Revision by Kate Messner. I can't wait to dive into this book!! **and this was the only book I meant to get on this day - oh well!**

On Friday, I had an itch for more books, even though I hadn't read all of the above. So, I headed to the local branch of our public library, and found some books I'm very excited to read:

Basketball Belles - after serving on the NFPB panel for the Cybils the past two years, I always have an eye out for new nonfiction picture books, so I added this to my bag.
The Emerald Atlas - a friend recently asked me if I knew anything about this book. I honestly didn't at the time. So , when I saw it on the "new book" shelf at the library, I realized this was the book she must have been talking about. I'll be interested to see if it's a fantasy I enjoy (not a huge fantasy fan).
The Luck of the Buttons - intrigued by the flap information. Takes place in the 1929s in a small Iowa town. Published this past April.
The Summer Before Boys by Nora Raleigh Baskin. A book by the author of Anything But Typical -- of course I picked it up! :)
Angel in My Pocket by Ilene Cooper - an angel and a mystery coin. Had to have it.
Noah Barleywater Runs Away - a title I've heard mentioned by several people. Thought I'd take a look myself.
the pile of adult books - those are just my "don't have to think too hard" books :)

So much reading to do! I can't wait! Any new books at your house?

Conferring reflection - Part 2

2011-07-13T00:18:00.002-04:00

Ok, so my title is deceiving; it would indicate I actually posted a part 1 which I didn't. :) However, in the spirit of my new #cyberPD PLN on twitter, I thought I would get on the same page as everyone else, which brings me back to "part 2."

I have so enjoyed reading Patrick Allen's Conferring: The Keystone of Reader's Workshop. As many people posted last week, he writes in such a personal way; I feel like I'm sitting at the kitchen table or in the family room with Patrick as he talks. I imagine we have coffee (ok, Patrick does; I probably have a Pepsi) and some wonderful treats we enjoy as we converse. The book has a very welcoming tone.

This week's focus was the 2nd section of Conferring which deals with the essential components of conferring. In chapter 4, Patrick describes the R.I.P. model of conferring. I loved this section. For those of you who haven't read this book, R.I.P. is an acronym for the structure of conferences:

R = review, read aloud, record

I = instruction, insights, intrigue

P = plan, progress, purpose

I don't want to oversimplify what Patrick is saying, but as someone who sometimes flounders when conferring with students, this acronym is such a clear, organized system for thinking about conferences as 3 separate, but overlapping components. Not everything listed above happens in every conference, but the concept of touching base first, pushing the student's thinking next, and finally clarifying the "what's next" step at the end is brilliant! So intuitive, but I love that Patrick has thoughtfully named what he does.

**Taking a slight detour here: In this same chapter, he shares much about his friend and colleague, Troy. The two of them are often found in each others' room after school. Patrick says, "It is good to have a person with whom you can share your frustrations and successes, risk free and without judgement." As I read this section, I couldn't help but reflect back on my first years (back in the mid-80s) in my current school district. I had the same relationship with another newcomer to the school district, none other than the incredibly bright Mary Lee from A Year of Reading. From day one, we talked almost every day after school about what went well, and what really bombed. We talked about workshop, good mini lessons, conferring, small groups. As I read this section, I realized how important the Troys and Mary Lees of this world are to us -- we need them to support us and help us grow and hopefully, we do the same for them. **

As I read the assigned section for this week, the word "thoughtful" came to my mind frequently. This is a true professional at work here. Patrick has recorded hours of his conferences with students, and has honestly critiqued what he's heard. He has meticulously recorded and documented what has happened in conferences with his students; the forms he shares are incredibly helpful for a visual learner like myself. He is such an inspiration, and I find that I want to push my thinking while conferring with children. More importantly, I want to hone my conferring skills. I want to make it an "art" form, in much the same way Patrick has.

The conversations Troy and Patrick have on an ongoing basis reminds me of another point. In one of their conversations, they were discussing the difference between a photograph of a child versus a video. Troy says the following:

"I look at a picture and immediately make a judgement... I make a decision based on that one single moment. It's different when I watch a whole video. I get to experience more, think about more..."

Later, Patrick says that this is what happens when we confer. How true -- we get to know our students over a period of time, not necessarily looking at a video, but most definitely looking at multiple moments in the student's reading life. This is a point that will keep me motivated to confer on a regular basis. I'm going to want the "video" of each student to help better inform my instruction and their learning.

So much more to share, but since this post is getting long, I'd like to wrap things up with Patrick's idea of developing an intimacy and scholarly relationship with the readers in his room. To do that he has 3 important questions he asks:

Who does the talking?
Who owns the text?
Where do I sit?

Before I even read the sections in the book devoted to each question, I knew I had some work to do. I need to do a better job of letting the students guide our conversations. Those assessments that guide my instruction are important, but I also need to listen to what my students have to say. I also need to do a better job of moving to each student for a conference, not having them be the ones to always move. This wasn't a problem before, but in the last year, I've become more stationary, partly due to some knee issues. This coming year, with my brand new left knee, I plan on finding a small stool, and carrying it around the room with me as I confer. I've always worked hard at building relationships with each student, but I will have a different, more focused lens for this work in the coming year.

Thanks so much to Jill Fisch for hosting the conversation about Part 2 today at My Primary Passion!!! I look forward to reading what my #cyberPD group had to say this week.

My Parental Pride is Showing

2011-07-11T07:17:00.005-04:00

As parents we try to provide our kids with opportunities to learn and grow. Sometimes the opportunities help them discover some new talent or skill. Other times the opportunities provide time to improve at things they enjoy. It's exciting when one of these opportunities reveal a real passion in our kids, but sometimes, unexpectedly, our kids provide us with experiences that will never be forgotten. The lovely Mrs. Prosser and I have had two such experiences this summer, both provided by events our 16 year old son Steven was involved in.

The first came over Memorial Day weekend. Steven is part of the Hilliard Darby Symphonic Choir, a select choir at his high school. The group was chosen to join several other choirs from around the country to form a 300 voice choir that would perform with the U. S. Army Symphony at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D. C. I won't lie, as the trip grew closer there was some grumbling in my house about the cost, the timing was bad, we were missing graduation parties for some very dear friends, and Steven wasn't getting to play in the state championships for volleyball. We weren't sure the trip was going to be worth the sacrifices we were making as a family. However, it was paid for and Steven had committed, so there really wasn't a choice, we were going to D. C. over Memorial Day Weekend.

We toured the city and enjoyed the company of some friends whose daughter was also singing and on Sunday made our way to the Kennedy Center. The performance hall where the kids sang, was amazing, just walking in we felt we were going to be part of something special. When the concert began the host of the event was a Congressional Medal of Honor winner and later the guest conductor was a D-Day survivor. Our son Steven has taken an interest in WW II, thanks to the movie Saving Private Ryan, and was completely impressed and excited to share the stage with these American heroes. As the choir sang and the symphony played, there was not a dry eye in the house. When the groups launched into a medley of the Armed Service theme songs, and audience members stood as their branch was saluted, it hit me why we did this, and how important it was for Steven to be a part of it, that hour in the Kennedy Center was one of the most moving things I have ever been a part of. After the concert we met the kids in the hallway and I could tell from the look on Steven's face that we had made the right choice, he was in sort of a daze and when I hugged him the first thing he said was, "That was awesome!" I couldn't have said it better myself!

The second experience just happened last weekend, over the 4th of July. We traveled with Steven's volleyball team to play in the USA Volleyball Junior Boys National Tournament in Minneapolis. Our kids are a high school team that really have only played together for about 3 months. Two of the boys have only played with our team for the last month to prepare for this event. They would be playing against some of the best talent in the country, teams that have played together nearly year round for several years. Many of the teams were from California and Puerto Rico, two places where the kids grow up on the sport, that's not the case in Ohio, most of our kids don't pick up the game until middle school, so strike up another disadvantage for our boys! As play began our Darby Panthers realized they weren't in Central Ohio anymore! In Central Ohio, they dominate, in Minneapolis, they were scrappy and hung in with some amazing teams, never quitting and always playing hard.

On the afternoon on the second day, our boys were placed in a pool with a San Gabriel, CA team who started the tournament ranked 5th and would end the tournament in 4th
place. It was an incredible match! In order to win a match a team has to win 2 out of 3 games our boys won the second game and only lost the third by a couple of points. It was so close! After the match the San Gabriel coach was so complimentary of our team and how athletic our boys are, but my favorite comment (proud parent bragging alert) was when he singled our Steven out as a "stud" at his position! Our boys won their next match against yet another California team in what I have to consider one of the most exciting volleyball events I have been a part of.

It was obvious after losing such a tough match the kids were having a tough time getting excited and up for the last match of the day, so the parents took it upon themselves to get them fired up. We weren't the largest cheering section in the arena, but for that match, we were the loudest! We chanted D-A-R-B-Y until we didn't have any voices left, moms were running up and down the crowd high fiving everyone who had a hand out, moms were even chest bumping and our boys responded. As the match went on, the crowd around our court began growing and soon the Darby Panthers had a HUGE cheering section, including our opponents from San Gabriel! The boys in red and their parents were cheering just as loud as we were and the Darby Panthers quickly became the talk of the town, for at least that day! What a moment! When the boys walked off the court victorious, words cannot describe their smiles and our pride. Later, while talking to one of the parents from San Gabriel, we learned that they were so impressed with our kids, not only because of how they play the game, but because of their obvious camaraderie and friendship. It was clear that the boys on this team enjoy being together. As a parent, that's why we want our kids involved in these things, friendship, working together, cooperation, sportsmanship, perseverance, all things that will take them places in this world. Our boys finished 25th out of 49 teams, moving up 15 spots from their original ranking, and even though Steven was disappointed that they didn't finish higher, the lovely Mrs. Prosser and I know he and his team mates came out with something more than medals.

Book Clubs are the Best!

2011-06-29T10:20:00.008-04:00

What happens when a group of women enter your house bearing food, drinks, and all carrying the same book? An amazing book club adventure, that's what!!

This past year was my second year at a new school in my district. As the newbie last year, I sort of sat back and did a lot of observing of my new colleagues. What I noticed right away was the social nature of this group. In my second year, I wanted to see if this social group would be interested in starting a book club. I threw the idea out to the entire staff by email in April, and for our first organizational meeting in May, 23 people expressed an interest in participating in this book club!! 23!! That was a whole lot of energy and excitement about reading and discussing books together!

Last night was the inaugural book club meeting of a GREat group of women - 14 of us were able to make it! We met at my house, and as in all fun social gatherings, the first 45 minutes or so was spent on catching up on each other's summers and enjoying good food and drink. After we filled our tummies, quenched our thirsts, and tried to finish the last anecdote about vacation, we were ready to get down to the big conversation.

We had selected Little Bee as the book to read and discuss. Those of you who have read this book know that it is not at all an easy book to read due to its content, but wow, does it make for great discussions!! Not knowing how the conversation would flow, I tossed out a feeling I had about the ending of the book, and then the fun began. People were so eager to wonder, ask questions, give opinions, share favorite parts, talk about language, and talk about characters. We didn't have a list of guidelines; we were just a group of fun, smart women talking about a book that had several important messages for all of us. The conversation was a like a ping pong ball being hit all around the room. Some of us had a lot to say; others not as much, but everything shared added to our appreciation of the book, Little Bee.

It was also interesting to see the format in which each of us had read Little Bee. The majority of us had an actual paper book, but one had it on her iPad, and another had read it on a Kindle. I love that there are choices available to suit each readers' needs.

For me, book clubs are so rejuvenating!! It is an opportunity to share a book communally and talk about meaty topics. That experience just heightens my appreciation of the book. I'm still abuzz with the excitement of last night, and I look forward to sharing books with this lovely group of women for a long time to come!

We have decided to read The Lincoln Lawyer for July, followed by Jodi Picoult's latest, and then Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls (many had read and loved her memoir, The Glass Castle). We are also considering the following as future reads:

Unbroken
Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett
State of Wonder - Patchett's latest
The Alchemist

If you have any other great book club suggestions, I would love to hear from you so I can relay some more choices to this wonderful group of women.

A Couple of Reviews and an Award Too!

2011-06-28T08:08:00.006-04:00

So I've finished both trips to Boston for the summer and both went well. The weather could have cooperated a little more, but the kids were troopers and didn't mind their raincoats and sweatshirts. When I returned this time I saw a comment that informed Karen and I that we have been chosen as one of the Top 50 Teacher Blogs by a website called Teachercertificationdegrees.com We didn't start this for awards, but it's nice to be recognized especially when some of our blogging friends like A Year of Reading and Raising Readers and Writers are also included, so, thank you.

Before I left I finished two short novels that I liked, not only because they are short, quick reads, but also because they are well done. The first is an early chapter book called The Gol den Ghost by Marion Dane Bauer. Delsie wants a dog in the worst way but her father is allergic to all animals, including ground hogs, so all she can do is wish. As the summer winds down, she and her best friend Todd are bored and looking for something to do. In her desperation for adventure, Delsie throws out the idea of exploring the "ghost houses" on the edge of town. The houses are nothing more than abandoned company homes, but kids start stories and soon they are known as the ghost houses. Even though they aren't supposed to go in, Delsie and Todd do and Delsie senses a presence in one of the houses that appears to have had someone living in it recently. As the story continues the drifter who lives there appears and so does a sparkling being that resembles a golden retriever, but Delsie is the only one who can see it. Young readers will enjoy the mystery and ghost of this story. There is just enough suspense to keep them interested and just enough ghost to make it a young reader thriller.

The second book was Hothead by Cal Ripken, Jr. and Kevin Cowherd. Cal Ripken is a legend, not only for his streak of games played, but also because he played the game the right way. Who better to write a baseball book than a genuine baseball hero. In Hothead, Connor Sullivan is the star of his baseball team. In true Cal Ripken fashion he is humble and an ultimate team player. When things at home start getting tense due to his dad's job loss and money problems. It affects Connor's play and attitude and he begins to lose his cool on the field earning him the nickname Pshyco Sully. His old school coach pulls him from the big game and the school reporter threatens to do a tell all article in the school paper if he doesn't get himself under control. Connor is forced to take a look at himself and figure out how to channel his energy into performing better on the field. I was a big fan of Matt Christopher books growing up, and, even though those books still hold up today, I've been on the look out for some books that today's kids will relate to. Hothead fits the bill and I can't wait to introduce it to my kids next year. It's well written, less than 200 pages, and the beginning of a series by Cal Ripken, Jr. which automatically gives it sports credibility. I found this cool related website with some batting tips from Cal Ripken, Jr. himself.

A Great NFPB and MG Pair!!

2011-06-26T00:30:00.006-04:00

I recently read Bird in a Box by Andrea Davis Pinkney and absolutely loved the story it told. Bill recently wrote a review of this book (look at end of post), so I don't want to spend a lot of time re-reviewing the story.

However, I do want to share with you my plans for pairing Bird in a Box with A Nation's Hope, a nonfiction picture book written by Matt De La Pena and illustrated by Kadir Nelson. These books were meant to be used together. In Bird in a Box, the backstory is how intently the characters follow the story of Joe Louis, and how much pride they take in his successes. But to understand these feelings, I really think that students need some background knowledge about who Joe Louis is.

Enter the picture book, A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis. It has a lyrical text that shares the story of Joe Louis and is accompanied by the gorgeous illustrations of Kadir Nelson. Through conversation about this story, and maybe doing some quick online searches of the fight with Max Schmeling, students will then have the knowledge needed to support their thinking while listening to Bird in a Box.

This is a perfect example of how to use a picture book to scaffold for a longer text. I can't wait to share both books in my classroom this year!

Hidden

2011-06-24T12:52:00.005-04:00

Hidden by Helen Frost was recently recommended by several people I follow on Twitter. Wow! Were they ever right!!! As much as I loved Okay For Now by Gary D. Schmidt and felt like it had "medal" written all over it, I feel the exact same way about Hidden.

Frost once again strikes gold with her writing. The story is written entirely in verse and is told from two different points of view: Wren and Darra. What makes this book so compelling is that when Wren is young, she gets "kidnapped" by Darra's father, and years later they run into each other at the same summer camp. Both girls have many issues through the years - Wren has dealt with the trauma of being taken and Darra has dealt with a somewhat abusive father who ended up in jail.

The book is divided into 3 parts: the first part is the story told from Wren's viewpoint, the second part is Darra's perspective, and the third part takes place at camp, many years later, and alternates between Wren and Darra telling the story through their own lens.

Frost manages to put in a "form" that further enhances the readers' understanding. Whenever we are reading Darra's point of view, the last words in the long lines combine together to let us know more of what Darra is thinking. It's like a story within a story, much the same as Diamond Willow.

The first two sections help build wonderful background knowledge of this traumatic event through the eyes of both girls. Then, the camp scenes, when the girls come to realize who the other one is, are very gripping. The story is powerful and I shed more than one tear as the story came to a conclusion.

Hidden is a book I plan on rereading multiple times to fully grasp all the nuances. It is a truly amazing read!

For more reviews of this amazing book:
The Reading Zone
Reading Nook
The Musings of a Book Addict

The Great Wall of Lucy Wu

2011-06-21T00:03:00.005-04:00

I was catching up on others' blog posts last weekend when I came across a review of The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang at A Year of Reading. It was written by one of the contributors' (Mary Lee) brother. After reading his review, I decided that this book needed to be on my TBR list. Imagine my surprise and delight when I got to our public library late Saturday afternoon, and The Great Wall of Lucy Wu was sitting on the children's "New Book" shelf!! I snatched it up and made it my #bookaday reading for today.

Mary Lee's brother, Dave, was so right about this book! I started it, and finished it within a three hour period. I was totally involved with the main character, Lucy, and her attempts to mesh her Chinese heritage/relatives with her American way of life.

Lucy has complicated relationships with everyone in her family. Her older sister, Regina, is the beautiful "perfect" child and is headed off to college. They share a room that Lucy can't wait to claim as her own. Her older brother, Kenny, is a math and science whiz and is always immersed in a book; he doesn't have time for a younger sister. Her parents love her very much, but they ask her to do two things she doesn't want to do: 1) share her room with her great-aunt coming to visit from China, and 2) quit playing basketball for the school team so that she can go to Chinese school on Saturdays instead. For someone who loves basketball as much as Lucy, this is a huge sacrifice. Her great-aunt, Yi Po, is a kind gentle soul but she annoys Lucy just because they have to share a space that Lucy had thought would be her own. Lucy even moves furniture to divide the room into what is hers and what is Yi Po's (thus, the title - The Great Wall...).

And those are just the issues with her family. There are other important issues at school that come with being a 6th grader. The school issues will all be ones to which students can relate.

As the story unfolds, the author does a great job of explaining how difficult life for Chinese people was, both in China during the revolution and in America, during and after World War II, in a way that student readers will be able to understand.

After reading The Great Wall of Lucy Wu, I immediately ordered it for our classroom. It will be a book to which I direct many students. I love the cultural aspects of this book, and know that many of my students will relate to that as well.

Poetry Friday - Emma Dilemma

2011-06-17T01:21:00.004-04:00

I got Emma Dilemma: Big Sister Poems by Kristine O'Connell George way back in April, and am only now getting around to reading and reviewing it. Seems to be the story of my life lately. But what a great book to read during the summer #bookaday challenge!!

This book contains a delightful collection of poems that very aptly share the ups and downs of being a big sister. In one poem, Jessica (the big sister) is mortified that her little sister (Emma) wore her pretend clothes to Jessica's soccer game and keeps cheering her name loudly so that all notice. A few poems later, Jessica notices how Emma's hand is

"just the right size
to fit
inside mine."

Whether it's Emma encroaching on Jessica's room, or Jessica's markers, or time with Jessica's friends, she always manages to make herself noticed.

But, the true love between sisters shines through when Jessica allows Emma to hop into bed when she's scared, or when Jessica teaches Emma the best way to blow paper off of straws, or when Jessica goes on a field trip and spends her 3 dollars on a gift for Emma.

Emma Dilemma is a collection of poems that tell a tender story about the relationship between a big sister and a little sister. Kristine O'Connell George chose the perfect words in each poem to share the feelings and emotions of sisterhood. And the illustrations by Nancy Carpenter mesh wonderfully with the words. I was touched by this book of poems and can't wait to share it with my students in the fall!

For more Poetry Friday fun, see the lovely Jone at Check it Out!!

2 Quick Reviews

2011-06-15T08:34:00.008-04:00

I've returned from my first of two annual pilgrimages to Boston and that long bus ride provided plenty of reading time. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate this trip but the kids were terrific and real troopers in their ponchos and raincoats. I've managed to finish 2 new books since my last post and enjoyed both.

I finally got my hands on a copy of The Friendship Doll by my friend Kirby Larson. She shared the background of the book and even some of the story with the kids at Bailey when she visited and I was intrigued from the beginning. The book did not disappoint. Back in 1927 Japan sent a set of 58 traditional Japanese dolls to the children of the United States. The dolls then went on tour and over the years, most have gone missing. The Friendship Doll is told through the eyes of one doll, Miss Kanagawa, who calls herself an ambassador and carries herself in just that fashion. She starts in New York at the ceremony to present the dolls where she "interacts" with a young girl named Bunny Harnden who constantly feels left out, by her classmates and her wealthy family. She is chosen to be part of the committee to welcome the dolls, but not chosen to recite her speech. Even though Bunny feels hers was the best speech, the honor goes to Belle Roosevelt, the granddaughter of Theodore Roosevelt. Before the ceremony Bunny makes a connection with Miss Kanagawa even "hearing" the doll speak to her. The connection changes Bunny, making her less self centered and more willing to reach out an help others and understand their feelings and behaviors.

The book continues in a similar theme. Miss Kanagawa connects with a series of girls through the years. The girls' situations are all different and yet they all have things in common that provide the catalyst for the Kanagawa connection. In the last chapter, the doll actually makes a connection with a boy, Mason, who uses Miss Kanagawa to help an Alzheimer's patient remember things from her past. It's a very touching finish to a wonderful book. I'll be adding it to my list of great books that are less than 200 pages.

The second was an ARC of a fun mystery that I got from Sally at Cover to Cover after the Central Ohio Blogger breakfast. The Mystery of the Missing Everything by Ben H. Winters comes out in September and will be added to our library as soon as I can get my hands on a copy. It's actually the second book featuring the students of Mary Todd Lincoln Middle School, the first was The Secret Life of Ms. Finkleman which I have already reserved at the library.

The detective in the book is Bethesda Fielding and she is put on the case when the gymnastics championship trophy goes missing from Achievement Alcove. This sets Principal Van Vreeland into a royal hissy fit and she cancels all extra curricular activities including the 8th grade trip to Camp Taproot. The mystery winds and weaves its way through the book with suspects changing all the time for detective Bethesda. The reader is introduced to plenty of very interesting characters like the wimpy vice principal Jasper Ferrars who moonlights in musical theater, Reenie, the new kid, who is a bit mysterious, maybe a little mean and always has her nose in a book, just to name a couple. The book is funny, fast paced and full of enough plot twists to keep a kid reading. In the end, just when I thought Bethesda had the case wrapped up, Ben H. Winters throws another twist and gave me an excellent ending.

Visit with Loren Long

2011-06-12T14:08:00.008-04:00

I'm embarrassed to tell you how long ago the visit Loren Long made to our school occurred (ok, it was the beginning of May). Between getting ready for my knee surgery, getting ready for end of year items before the end of the year, and now, after surgery, having the attention span of a gnat, I find it hard to concentrate for any length of time. This doesn't bode well for article writing, preparations for a workshop this summer, knitting projects, or advance planning for next year. And it especially doesn't bode well for blog writing. Besides exercising, icing, and resting, the only thing I seem to be able to sustain for a period of time is reading -- whew!!

But, back to the point, I would like to very belatedly share the wonderful visit our school had with Loren Long.

Loren was actually scheduled to come on a day that became a snow day for us this past winter - tough weather. We were so delighted when he was willing to reschedule from his original date in February to a date in May.

What we all came to realize is that Loren Long is both a talented artist and a talented writer. One of the things he shared that really stuck with me is that he likes to think of his books as films, and he is the director - he gets to decide what will happen and how it will happen. He continued to model smart thinking as a writer/illustrator. He gave an example of how when writing Otis, he first thought about the main character and how to develop him. Then, he brought in secondary characters. After that he likes to develop setting, and his setting allows him to set "mood" for his readers right away. Finally, he thinks about the events that comprise the beginning, middle, and end of the story.

I loved the quote he borrowed from Stephen King: "There is no such thing as writing, but rewriting."

He also shared a little about the honor he felt when he was asked to illustrate Of They I Sing by President Obama. He shared how much he rose in his own sons' estimation when President Obama shared that he knew Loren Long's books. The kids at our school got a kick out of it when he said we could address him as Loren Long, "Illustrator in Chief."

All these thoughts Loren shared are why we're so very fortunate to be able to host authors and illustrators at our school. They help de-mystify the process of writing and creating, and share it at a level that is meaningful for the students. I took so much from Loren Long's session and applied it in both our reading workshop and writing workshop focus lessons.

The other rich piece of having an author visit is the learning and preparation that happens before the author even gets there. We were able to share so many of Loren Long's books, and then students could respond to them in a way they wanted. One of my favorite things that happened before the visit was a class who wrote a book like Of Thee I Sing, with heroes that matched specific parts. This pre-visit thinking and work really helps enrich the visit, and the students feel so connected to the author and/or illustrator.

A huge thanks to Loren Long for being so willing to share of himself and his creative process with our students. Another huge thanks for all the conversations he had with teachers during his "down times" that enriched their creative processes as well.

48 Hour Book Challenge - Wrapup (Karen)

2011-06-06T09:23:00.009-04:00

What a fun weekend this has been! By participating in MotherReader's (thanks, Pam!!) 48 Hour Book Challenge, I created many opportunities for reading and activities surrounding the reading community since Friday afternoon. I didn't exactly follow the rules because we had a friend of my youngest daughter staying with us , so I read and participated in chunks of times over the last 3 days. I read 2 books Friday afternoon, met my fellow Central Ohio bloggers for breakfast and book shopping on Saturday morning, read 3 1/2 books on Saturday afternoon, and Sunday afternoon, when I was the only one in the house, I read 3 more books (finished the other 1/2 from Saturday, and ended the evening by beginning another one).

Final total: reading off and on for 3 days, I managed to read 8 1/2 books. I'm so pleased that I was able to set aside time to immerse myself in some new books, and some great conversations (both online and in person) with people who love books as much as I do!

I already shared about my Friday and Saturday reading, but I have to share about my last three books I read yesterday. They were probably my favorite.

I finished Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu. I don't want to ruin the plot, because this book doesn't even come out until this October, but I do have to say the themes within the story make it an incredibly important read. A couple of notes, however. The main character is at one point reading When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. I loved how cleverly Ursu lets the reader know that without ever mentioning the actual title, and how well she connected the two story lines. Another part that truly stuck a chord with me is the following:

"Somewhere ahead there was a boy who had been her best friend. She had known so many versions of him, she carried all of them with her."

If that passage doesn't capture the essence of friendship, I'm not sure what does. I kept reading the section over and over, loving it more each time.

The next book I read was a picture book, A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis by Matt de la Pena and illustrated by Kadir Nelson. Both the words and illustrations are amazing. I can't wait to pair this picture book with Bird in a Box, a historical fiction by Andrea Davis Pinkney. I'll need to post more about this book later, but let it suffice to say that this pair of books is definitely on the "short list" of books I've already to begun to think about sharing in read aloud with my class.

The final book I read was The Friendship Doll by Kirby Larson. I've read several other bloggers who thought the same thing, but this book is very reminiscent of Edward Tulane. The doll in this story answers a need for both young and old alike who come into her presence. Again, not wanting to ruin the story for anyone, I will say I loved the way Kirby Larson concluded the story. It gave me a real sense of closure in a story like this that jumps from setting to another.

Great reads, great weekend! Thanks again to Pam for hosting such a fun event!!

48 Hour Book Challenge - Update #1 (Karen)

2011-06-04T20:38:00.008-04:00

Well, I started the 48 Hour Book Challenge over 24 hours ago, and though some other things have interfered (all good), it's been fun to devote my time to reading when not otherwise socially engaged.

On Friday, before evening company came, I was able to read two excellent books. The first was Junonia by Kevin Henkes. I'm embarrassed to say that I actually got this as an ARC all the way back in November at NCTE, but never got around to reading it. What better opportunity than the #48HBC to rectify that! I love that the setting of the book was a beach in Florida and that the main character, a ten year old girl, is so knowledgeable about shells. I have to admit I didn't even know what a Junonia was until I read this; now I want to get a shell book and start classifying some of the shells I've collected over the years. The other thing I loved about this book was that the main character, Alice, had rituals established for her vacation - people, places, and events on which she relied to happen the same way each year. The backdrop of this book is how Alice reacts when her expectations are not met on this vacation. Really loved this book!

My second read was Grounded by Kate Klise. This is another book that has been on my bookshelf for multiple months and I just kept passing over it. Again, I am so glad that changed this weekend. I love the symbolism of the front cover, where a large tree is shown, and we can also see underground where a strong root system keeps this tree "grounded." The main character, Daralynn, loses her brother, sister, and father in a plane crash. This is a story of a small town, and the ways that people who live in a town like that keep one another grounded, even when on the surface they might not even seem to like one another. I love that Daralynn becomes a hero in this story, and I both loved and hated how much I cried toward the end of this book. Very emotional in a good way.

After some family social time last night, I was up bright and early for our annual Central Ohio's 48 Hour Book Challenge breakfast and bookfest. Today, there were 12 of us who gathered at the ever popular Northstar Cafe. If you read Bill's earlier post, he had his favorite, granola, and I had my favorite, fresh squeezed orange juice with a Cloud 9 pancake (an amazingly fluffy pancake made with ricotta cheese and topped with banana slices). Yum! Conversations abounded around our huge booth. After breakfast, we headed down the street to Cover to Cover, an independent children's bookstore. There, we tempted one another with titles, found some fun ARCS that Sally the owner so kindly shared, talked some more, and eventually left the store with our arms full of books (see picture of my loot). This was my first outing since my surgery for total knee replacement two and a half weeks ago, and I enjoyed every minute!!

After a much-needed nap following my first outing, I got up and immediately started my 3rd book, The Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer Holm. Such a great story, and I love May Amelia, but I found myself so absolutely angry with her father toward the end, I could actually feel my jaw clenching. Believe it or not, I never read the first book, Our Only May Amelia, but I don't feel like that took away from my understanding of the characters or my enjoyment of such a tough little girl. The fact that it is a historical novel is just icing on the cake!

My fourth book was another Jennifer Holm book, this time paired with her brother, Matthew - Squish. What a great new series, and as my friend Mary Lee pointed out, I now know more information about amoebas reading a graphic novel than I probably retained through any science classes I have ever taken. Squish is so fun, and sure to be a kid pleaser! I'm doubly happy that the 2nd book in the series will be coming out in September - perfect timing for the start of school!!

My fifth book was Liar, Liar by Gary Paulsen. I follow a lot of people on twitter that have read this recently and had only positive things to say about it. While I really enjoyed it, I always read books with my own 5th grade class in mind, and I have to say that I think Liar, Liar is really better targeted to a middle school, or early high school audience. The message about lying is an important one, and even if things get tied up a little too neatly, such an important message for kids to hear. However, some of the other situations are a little more "grown up".

I have now moved on to my 6th book, an ARC I picked up today - Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu. I feel so fortunate to have found this today (okay, truth in advertising - I feel so fortunate that Bill found it but let me have it first - THANK YOU!). I am currently on page 68 and am enthralled by the dynamics of both the main characters and the secondary characters already.

So, as I look back over the last 30 hours, I am so happy I was able to focus on reading some really good books. I look forward to the next 18 (or more) hours!!

48 Hour Book Challenge: Update 2

2011-06-04T16:26:00.004-04:00

So first I need to apologize for a mistake. The event is called the 48 Hour BOOK Challenge, not reading challenge as I have been calling it I promise to do better. I started the morning with about an hour of reading then went and enjoyed some delicious granola and conversation with the Central Ohio Kid Lit Bloggers. I even convinced 3 others to try the granola at the Northstar Cafe and they all agreed, it's awesome.

Then we journeyed to our favorite book store, Cover to Cover where Sally and Beth helped find all of the good titles that we just had to see. The one I'm most excited about is the second book of Those Darn Squirrels. It may just kick of the year in THE PIT next fall. What's funnier than a cat giving wet willies, noogies and wedgies to squirrels!? Nothing, that's what! I was laughing out loud in the book store. I LOVE THOSE DARN SQUIRRELS!

When I got home I got the pork tenderloin into the marinate and then finished A Million Miles from Boston by Karen Day. I love the setting of this book, a small summer beach community on the coast of main and with the humidity in Columbus today, I found myself wishing I was there. The story is about Lucy, a soon to be middle schooler who lives with her father and brother. Her mother passed away from cancer and Lucy finds herself not only dealing with the social pit falls of middle school and boys, but with the grief over her mother and her father's new girl friend. It's very well written and I'm pretty sure I know some fifth grade girls who will really like it.

I think I'm moving on to one of the ARCs I picked up called The Mystery of Missing Everything by Ben H. Winters.

48 Hour Reading Challenge: First Update

2011-06-03T22:18:00.006-04:00

So just as I suspected, not much reading time came my way. Started at 3 and an hour later went to dinner. After that I had to bake an apple pie, crust from scratch of course, for the lovely Mrs. Prosser's birthday and by then it was 8:30. So to update my reading time, 2 hours from 3 to 10:30...pathetic!

I finished two books, probably neither of them qualify under the rules of competition, but I enjoyed them both anyway and know I have young readers who will enjoy them too.

The first was the first in a new series called Ball Park Mysteries by David A. Kelly. The title is The Fenway Foul-Up. I think this is going to be a great beginning chapter book mystery series and I really like the list of facts in the back of the book. In this one all of the facts are about Fenway Park in Boston, one of my favorite cities. Oh yeah, I'm leaving for Beantown on Thursday with 47 of my closest friends.
The second book I finished was part of a new series by Kate Messner called Marty Mcguire. Marty is a tomboy third grader who would rather be in the woods or creek exploring nature than dressing girly and princessy. However, she gets the lead role in the class play and it's a princess. Very fun and well done. Fans of Clementine and Moxie Maxwell are going to love this series too.

Right now I'm working on A Million Miles from Boston by Karen Day. That should be good for a few hours!

Ready...Set...Go! 48 Hour Reading Challenge

2011-06-03T15:05:00.003-04:00

It looks like I may be the first Central Ohio Blogger taking the plunge, but my start time for this year's 48 Hour Reading Challenge is 3:06 P.M. on Friday. As usual, I won't be winning any prizes but hope to increase my hours from years past. After all, this weekend is as much about the social part of reading as it is the actual reading for me. Tomorrow, I will enjoy a bowl of delicious granola, excellent conversation and a look at new books as the Central Ohio Blogger get together to celebrate MotherReader's annual event.

A bit of a change for me this year, I'm not announcing my reading list. I'm going with the flow and whatever hits me at the time. I know I'm starting with a new mystery series for kids that may be younger than the rules state, but I have to work into these things slowly.

So without further ado...READ!

Making Progress: 2 More Reviews

2011-06-01T07:39:00.010-04:00

Here is how the stack looked when I started.Here it is now.I've managed to get through two more books since I last posted about my reading stack. I've also managed to squeeze in a trip to DC to see my son sing with his high school choir at the Kennedy Center. They were part of a 300 member choir that performed with the U.S. Army Symphony for a Memorial Day Celebration. It was incredible, inspiring, awesome, moving and on and on and on. Just let it be said that there were goosebumps and tears all around.
The Reinvention of Bessica Lefter by Kristen Tracy is a great middle school transition book. Bessica decides to reinvent herself before she starts middle school. So she destroys the elementary school journal she kept with her friend Sylvie, gets all new clothes, and a drastic haircut. She talks Sylvie into the same haircut and that is the straw that breaks Sylvie's mother's back! She forbids the friendship and enrolls Sylvie in a different school. Now Bessica must really reinvent herself because she has no friends at her middle school and doesn't know how to make them. The trials that come Bessica's way are typical middle school stuff, and that's what makes this such a good transition story, I think kids will relate to her troubles. Fortunately for Bessica she has a strong support system at home from her parents to the live in grandmother who takes a camping trip with her new boyfriend just as school starts, but keeps in touch through mail and cell phone. All in all the book does a nice job of handling the middle school issues and I already have a few fifth grade girls who will really enjoy this book in mind.

The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic by Jennifer Trafton is a fun fantasy that can be read at many levels. On it's surface it's about a small island country that thinks it's the center of everything. When a surprise is discovered under the mountain, Mt. Majestic, in the center of the island, the islander's life is changed forever. But, like the book itself, there are lots of themes and ideas under the surface of Mt. Majestic that make this book ripe for discussions. The fact that the islanders think they are the center of the world and are willing to accept that there is nothing else out there is one. The boy king who looks down on his subjects and will never leave the hilltop castle to mingle with them is another. The heroine, Persimonny, who believes in her missing father and all that he stood far, at least as far as she knows will lead to discussions of loyalty and family. Persimonny's friend Worvil who continues to shrink due to his self doubt will open another avenue of discussion. There are so many ways this book could go that it keeps the reader going and on the Island at the Center of Everything. Throw in the illustrations by Brett Helquist and some very funny stuff and I think it makes for a book that kids who love fantasy will love.

48 Hour Book Challenge Starts this Weekend!!

2011-05-31T10:27:00.006-04:00

After being out of the loop for the past two weeks due to knee replacement surgery and great pain medications :), what better way to get back into the groove than Mother Reader's 48 Hour Book Challenge this weekend!!

It couldn't happen at a better time for me - I have 2 adult book club books I need to read (Little Bee and The Elegance of the Hedgehog), a large TBR pile of children's books that are calling my name, and some great professional books that were suggested at last Sunday's #titletalk on twitter. In addition, I will be joining the Central Ohio kidlit bloggers for breakfast and shopping at our favorite indie children's bookstore here in Columbus, Cover to Cover, on Saturday morning. I'm guaranteed to come home with another great pile of books!! I will be surrounded by books and loving every minute!

In addition to MotherReader's 48 Hour Challenge, Donalyn Miller (The Book Whisperer) has invited all interested to join her in the summer #bookaday challenge. Pretty simple stuff - try to complete any type of book each day of your summer. Then, if you'd like, post what you're reading on twitter so that all of us can gather more great titles.

The 48 Hour Challenge and the summer #bookaday challenge are reasons I love my kidlit PLN - we are always encouraging each other to expand our own reading in so many ways! So, even if you can't commit to 48 hours this weekend or a book a day for the entire summer, tackle what you can, and join in the fun!! Can't wait to hear about what you're reading!!

Picks From THE PIT: Lincoln School Style

2011-05-25T19:01:00.009-04:00

I expanded THE PIT this week. Well not literally, but it feels like it. My sister Martha who teaches 3rd grade at Lincoln Elementary in Ashland, OH invited me up to read to the whole school. I've managed to get time to read to her classes over the years, but this was the first time I read to the whole school. They were celebrating their Right to Read Week and the theme was "Wild About Reading!" When she introduced me, Martha told the kids that's why they invited me, because I'm wild about reading and because I get a little wild when I read!
As some of you frequent readers know, my favorite part of being in the library is reading aloud in THE PIT and the kids at Bailey are a great audience. Well let me tell you, the kids at Lincoln make a fabulous audience too!
I started with Elephant and Piggie: I Broke My Trunk and it was awesome when the younger kids got "interactive" yelling "NO!" when Piggie asks Gerald, "Is that how you broke your trunk?"

I knew I was in for a good time and moved onto Interrupting Chicken. The Lincoln kids got into that one too, laughing at all the right places and joining me on "OUT JUMPED A LITTLE RED CHICKEN!"

Sunday Chutney's stuffy nose voice brought giggles and smiles and the ending always brings a laugh.We finished with Fandango Stew and the kids at Lincoln sang the refrain with me over and over and over. Martha told me that the next day the playground and hallways were filled with kids singing Fandango Stew. When I told my Bailey kids this story, first they sang the song and then they remembered that is exactly what happened for a week when I read it to them. It just confirms what we all know, kids are kids no matter where they live.
To make my day, 30 minutes, of reading more special there were two honored guests in the audience, my parents. It was a special thing for me to have them to hear me read to the kids. They've always been incredibly supportive of my sisters and me so I'm glad they got to be part of this extremely fun afternoon.
As I headed back home, I couldn't help smiling about the time. I love the kids faces and reactions to the stories. Just one more reminder of why we do what we do. Thanks Lincoln for inviting me, I hope we can do it again sometime!

A Week's Progress

2011-05-21T19:13:00.009-04:00

A week ago, I posted a picture of my stack of books to read. I've made some progress, not as much as I would have liked, but it's a busy time of year and I did my best. The picture above is the before and the one below is the after.
I've managed to finish three books of the stack. The first was Tumbleweed Skies by Valerie Sherra rd. Set in the 1950s, Ellie is dropped off at with a grandmother she has never met until her father can get back on his financial feet. At first, grandma doesn't even want her and actually blames her for the death of her daughter who was Ellie's mother. Thanks to a gentle uncle who remembers his sister fondly Ellie is taken in. Although the grandmother never truly warms up to Ellie, the two learn to accept each other for who they are. Ellie learns about her mother and father's history and what it is to make and lose a friend. All in all it's a good story and well told in just 150 pages. Frequent readers know how much I like a short novel for our library, especially when it's as good as this one.

The second was Odd Girl In by Jo Whittemore. While it's not really my kind of book, I appreciate this one for the niche it will fill. I'm always looking for good tween literature that doesn't cross the line into inappropriate and this one does that. The Alexis "Alex" Evins lives with her dad and twin brothers and is always up to some sort of mischief. Their scientist mother is off doing research and doesn't play much of a role in the family's life, but does add some drama to the story. When Alex pulls a prank that burns the porch furniture of an elderly neighbor, her father enrolls all three kids in an after school program called Champs. This throws her into a tween love triangle with two over achieving girls competing over the same dreamy boy and putting Alex in the middle. Alex has never been very social and has never had time for the girl drama that is middle school, but now she must wade into uncharted waters and solve the mystery of friendship and mean girls. The story moves along, keeping the reader interested with twists that culminate in the final Champs assignment and obstacle course challenge. I'm pretty sure the fifth grade girls at Bailey are going to enjoy this one next year.

Finally I read Bird in a Box by Andrea Davis Pinkney, just let me say this about that...AWESOME! Set in the 1930s during the championship run of boxer Joe Louis the book follows the lives of three African American kids with very different stories. Hibernia, the daughter of a preacher, is blessed with an amazing voice and dreams of singing at the Savoy in Harlem. However, her father is a bit overprotective since her mother left them to follow her dream of being a nightclub singer and is never heard from again. Willie is an up and coming junior boxing champion with a drunk, abusive father. When tragedy strikes, ending his boxing career, he is sent away by his mother to the Mercy Home for Negro Orphans where he is nurtured by Lila the children's caretaker and befriended by Otis. Otis was orphaned in a tragic car accident and comforts himself by reciting riddles told to him by his deceased father. Even in the face of his sadness he keeps a positive outlook which helps those around him deal with their pain. The mood of the story and the time period are set through the use of old radios. One in the home of Hibernia and the other by Otis. The story is laced with actual radio calls of Joe Louis' fights on his way to becoming the first African American Heavyweight Champion. Bird in a Box is a touching, heartwarming story of people from different backgrounds coming together around a single historic event. In the author's notes Andrea Davis Pinkney explains the importance Joe Louis played in the African American community. In her story she makes it come alive. I'm placing this one on my Newbery list with Okay for Now and The Trouble With May Amelia.

And now back to the stack!

End of Year Celebrations

2011-05-16T00:06:00.003-04:00

My year with my students comes to an end today, even though they have 9 more days of school left. I will be having knee replacement surgery Wednesday which means I've really been scrambling to finish all the end of the year stuff, plus get ready for a sub.

But in the middle of the craziness of progress reports, literacy data collection, and sub plans, I've had many moments of sheer joy as we've looked back at our lives as 5th grade readers and reflected upon that. I was amazed at some of the things my students noticed and observed about their own reading lives. They have become so thoughtful and reflective about their own reading identity.

I could wax on and on about their progress and what I've seen, but I thought it might be better if I just let them speak for themselves. Just click on the letter to enlarge it (if that doesn't work for you, let me know):

I'm so grateful that I got to spend this past year learning side by side with these talented readers. I wish them all the success in the world and hope that they continue to be life-long readers!!!!

A List of Things

2011-05-14T13:02:00.007-04:00

So it's been a while since I last posted, and I wish I had a really good excuse. You know... world travel, solving the energy crisis, writing the next great novel. But I don't. Oh I've been busy and it's been a good busy, just not Earth shattering busy. Here's the list:

Watching Steven play a LOT of volleyball.
These guys are good!
Weeding the fiction section of the library. There were some really bad books in there.
Creating a video to honor our school nurses.
Getting ready to go to Boston...twice...in June.
Moving Meredith home from her first year of college. Time flies it seems like we just took her!
Reading a little, not enough.
Setting up the second Museum of PIT Artifacts.
And there are probably more things to add to this list but that would make for a really long post. I just needed to put a few things down so everyone knows I'm not being lazy and slack. Now, with only 10 that's right 10 days of school left I've compiled a new list. A list of things I've wanted to get into for a while but haven't had time. That list looks like this.
So stop back and see how I'm doing. Summer reading time is just around the corner and I'm going to do a better job of writing about my reading.

Final PLP thinking

2011-04-30T00:01:00.005-04:00

Today was the final face to face meeting for our Dublin-Dallas cohort during our year-long immersion in PLP thinking. I was fortunate to be on a team of five other very smart educators from my school, and it was a delight to spend this entire year learning alongside these ladies. We all grew a lot and more importantly, over this time, we have developed an action research plan for our building that addresses collaboration in our building - we looked at the structures already in place, and thought about how we could "grow" these structures in breadth and depth. We're all looking forward to putting the plan into action starting this summer.

Our Dublin-Dallas cohort has met multiple times throughout the year in Elluminate sessions online; each 2 hour session focused on certain topics to help push our thinking when it comes to connected learning. As nice as those sessions were, today's face to face session was incredibly powerful. It is a little ironic how much I valued this face to face time, when all year long I've been trying to stretch my connected learning.

I've really learned to push my own personal boundaries of learning as well as my students - this was the year we shared a blog with a class in Maine to talk about a book we were both reading aloud. Then, in celebration of all our thinking, we had a Skype book chat on the final day of the book. My goal has really been to break down the 4 walls of our classroom when we think about how we learn. This was a year that students started bringing electronics (iTouches and iPads) to school to enrich what was already going on in our classroom. I watched amazed recently during writing workshop at how students had multiple tabs opened on their laptops while working on their final project, and right beside the laptop lay their iTouch or iPad, ready with notes they had taken or videos they wanted to import. Another student had a flip video where he recorded himself at home explaining the touch screen of an iTouch. There is no longer a dividing line between what happens at school and what happens at home. The walls of our classroom truly are coming down.

But back to today - today consisted of all groups sharing their action research projects, then breaking apart to discuss topics of interest to us (iPads and project based learning were just two of the choices), we moved on to more breakout group conversations to discuss the roadblocks to implementing 21st century thinking (great discussions!), we talked about our digital footprints, and finally we came together to form action plans for the issues we identified as top priorities.

So much big thinking, and not enough space here to share it all. However, if you want to "poke the box" of your own learning (a phrase one of our co-leaders, Will Richardson used frequently), I am including my notes from today that I put on google doc. If you really want to stretch yourself, go the the PLP website and look at their offerings for the coming year.

A huge thanks to my GRE team, the other PLP cohorts, Will Richardson, and Sheryl Nussbaum Beach for making this year such an important one in my own learning.

Nonfiction Monday - Energy Island

2011-04-25T01:30:00.006-04:00

Don't you love it when you find a book at exactly the perfect moment?! That's what happened with this great nonfiction picture book Energy Island: How One Community Harnessed the Wind and Changed Their World by Allan Drummond.

I found this book last Saturday. This Tuesday begins some learning about renewable and nonrenewable energy sources in our classroom. How timely was that? I was absolutely meant to buy this book!

Energy Island is a story based on a real island, Samso, located in the middle of Denmark. Drummond actually read about this island in The New Yorker magazine, and knew right away that the topic had potential as a picture book for children. How right he was! He went to Samso and interviewed the people there, specifically Soren Hermansen, who was chosen by the Danish Ministry of Environment and Energy to lead a project that would allow Denmark to become independent of nonrenewable energy.

Drummond's text clearly tells a story about people on an island who are very typical of many others - in how they live, play, and use energy. One of the reasons I enjoyed this story so much is that Drummond keeps coming back to the point of how slowly change came to the people of Samso. More than that, the powerful message is that the young children were some of the first to embrace the need for change; most adults came to the idea of changing energy habits much later.

In the end, though, Energy Island is a story of huge success -- the islanders of Samso harnessed energy from the sun, the wind, straw, and fuel oil from canola crops. Some people embraced big ideas for how to use more renewable sources of energy; others started smaller. But everyone became part of the solution.

In addition to this great storyline of gaining command of renewable energy sources, Drummond has wonderful illustrations that are very kid-friendly and easy to understand. But, the final piece that I love about this nonfiction picture book is the sidebar information he inserts from time to time to better aid the understanding of what these big concepts are.

All this packed into one picture book makes Energy Island a true winner in my book! I can't wait to share it with my class this Tuesday so that hopefully they can start to make a difference in the world in which they live much like the children of Samso.

For more great nonfiction titles and ideas, check out Writing Nonfiction for Children for the entire Nonfiction Monday roundup.

Lemonade is Fun to Make!

2011-04-22T12:30:00.001-04:00

Last Saturday, I picked up a new poetry book titled Lemonade and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word by Bob Raczka. The front cover was bright and colorful, but the true fun began when I opened the book. I was fascinated by the concept - poems made using only the letters in the title word.

Raczka shares in the beginning that the concept of this collection of poetry came to him after reading poetry online, and finding the poetry of Andrew Russ. Russ makes poems out of single words. Raczka shared one of his favorites:

rain

i
ra n
in

It is even more fun that the focus is to initially keep the letters spaced in the way the title words' letters appear.

Raczka has taken this concept and written 22 poems of his own where he "squeezes" the poem from a single word. With each poem, he initially writes it in the same format as Andrew Russ did. Then, on the next page, he rewrites the poem using stanzas and with letters beside one another to make words. So much word play fun!! I cannot wait to try this with my own students next week for Poetry Friday!!

One of my favorite poems (too many to choose from!) written by Raczka is titled "vacation" :

vacation

ac tion
i n
a
va n

vacation

action
in
a
van

I decided if I was going to ask my students to do it, I would give it a whirl, as well. Bear with me, here. :)

island

a
s and
land
i
s a
i d

island

a sand
land
i
said

For more about Lemonade, check out 100 Scope Notes - Travis calls it a "Best New Book" - high praise indeed! And totally justified!!

And for more Poetry Friday Fun, visit Book Aunt for the entire poetry roundup.