Passing Along the Gift of Reading - Slice of Life Challenge

In recent weeks, I've reflected a great deal on the power of reading mentors in our lives.  My mom was absolutely the most powerful reading mentor in my world as a child.  Even though she was a woman who worked outside the home and still had all the chores that went with owning a home, she somehow always managed to carve out time to pick up the always-changing book that sat on the end table by her chair and read.  I would curl up on the couch adjacent to her with whatever my latest find was at the library (usually a Nancy Drew book, or possibly Little Women for the 100th time).

I'm happy to look back at my time with my own daughters, and know that I have carried on with the role of reading mentor.  My husband and I spent countless hours reading aloud to our daughters when they were young.  And much to my chagrin (because of the million times we had to read it), they shared a favorite book: P. J. FunnyBunny.  Not a literary star, but just a character they really, really loved.  I think of all the trips we made to the public library.  A great day for all three of us would be gathering a large bagful of books, and then stopping at Bruegger's Bagels to get our favorite turkey bagel sandwich on the way home.  Then, once home, we all would have our noses buried in our new book choices while eating our sandwiches.

As they grew older, their tastes in books changed.  Kate, my oldest daughter, loved Nora Roberts and Phillippa Gregory - she got the romantic novel bug from me.  Carrie, my youngest daughter, is a far more eclectic reader.  For a long time, Carrie was a huge Jodi Picoult and Nicholas Sparks fan; to this day, she has her eye out for anything new by Jodi Picoult.  She also enjoys reading David Baldacci books, especially those about the Camel Club - spy and intrigue books are another weakness of mine that I seem to have passed on.  But she is also willing to try my other recommendations, because so far I have not let her down.  Her reads in the past year based on my suggestions are The Hunger Games trilogy, the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, and The Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.

This weekend, while Carrie was home for a long weekend, she was looking for something good to read, and I suggested two new titles to her.  The first was Wonder by R. J. Palacio.  I handed her my copy before leaving for school one day and she was done by the time I got home from work.  She loved it, even when it made her sad.  And then I followed that recommendation with The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.  She loved, loved, loved it!!  It makes me feel joy inside to know that the two of us have this bond of amazing books.

I took this picture while she was totally engrossed in The Fault in Our Stars on her Kindle Fire.  It was a sight that made me happy, knowing how much reading can still be part of her life when she is given the luxury of time.  I wish for both Carrie and Kate a lifetime of reading pleasures, and hope that at some point, they will be reading mentors for others as well.



As always, thanks to Stacey and Ruth at Two Writing Teachers for hosting the Slice of Life Challenge!

A GREat Meltdown - Slice of Life Challenge

The Glacier Ridge Meltdown is an annual event that the PTO of my elementary school sponsors.  Today was the day for it, and it was such a happy day.

I worked at the teacher time raffle station, and got to see all the children who were eagerly buying tickets in hopes that they would get to spend one-on-one time with their teacher.  So much excitement about getting to make necklaces, have a teacher cook breakfast for them, play dodgeball with six of their friends, attend a sleepover at the school with a group of teachers, go to a restaurant with their teacher, and much, much more.  Fun stuff!

There was even more fun and happiness swirling all around me:

• An incredibly enthusiastic DJ playing great songs like Cotton Eye Joe, the Electric Slide, YMCA, and Thriller, to name a few.  Not only did he play the songs, he was down on the floor surrounded by kids dancing with him.  Fun!
• I watched face after face pass me by, and each one looked so interesting after having visited the face painting station.  They all seemed to be happy to have their animals or butterflies painted on their entire faces.
• Entire families attending the event together: grandparents, younger siblings in strollers, moms, dads, older siblings that used to attend Glacier Ridge.  More fun.
• Some of those older siblings were former students of mine, and I couldn't believe how many of those middle schoolers were still willing to give me a hug.  It made me incredibly happy to see their faces, catch up on their lives, and get their hugs.
• Great food smells wafting through the commons area.  I'm such a sucker for fresh popped popcorn.  The smell of baked goods being won or purchased wasn't shabby, either.
• Current students running by to say hi, all sweaty from jumping on the inflatables in the gym or from too much dancing.  Either way, their glistening, perspiration-soaked bodies were indications of how much energy they were putting into having fun today.

When I go back to school on Monday, I want to remember my students with the animal faces, the students who were dancing until they practically dropped, the students sweaty from exertions of their own choice, the students who loved hanging out with their families.  These are the facets of my students to which I am not always privy.  Our Meltdown event today was both a fun and happy event for them, and a gentle reminder for me to focus on the whole child; not just the child I see daily in language arts.

Let's hear it for more happiness and fun!

The Best Conversations are Side by Side - Slice of Life Challenge

Years ago, I used to carpool with other parents.  We would take turns getting our children to school, dance, sports activities, school activities, movie theaters, and most importantly if you had girls, the mall.  I treasured those times in the car with my daughters and their friends.

I was always amazed by how much information I gleaned while sitting quietly in the driver's seat.  I must have had on an invisibility cloak while driving because all the girls in the car would share details about crushes, insecurities, arguments between friends, who were the new hot couples in the school, to what parties people were invited, and much, much more.   I'm sure if the girls realized how I was filing all this information away for future reference, my invisibility cloak might have stopped working.  But work it did, and when other parents were tired of driving, I found myself volunteering as much as possible.

The biggest payoff of carpooling, though, were the times after I had dropped off the last girl, and we were headed toward home.  My daughter would be sitting "shotgun" in the seat beside me.  This is when life got really good.  I would get detailed descriptions of what had gone on when they were out with their friends.  It was also a time they would share concerns and celebrations of their own.  It was just us, talking in a car, side by side.

My enjoyment of these side by side moments came rushing back to me this past week, when my daughter, home for a four day spring break, asked me to accompany her on a walk because it was such a gorgeous day outside.  As we headed out and started walking on the bike path, I realized with only a few prompts from me, she was sharing a great deal of information about her life with me.  Our conversation went non-stop from the time we left our house until we returned.  And then I noticed our body positions: we were walking side by side, shoulder to shoulder the entire time.

What is it about that side by side conversation that makes it so rich?   Is it less threatening to not have to look someone in the eyes?  Is it the chance to just have the flow of conversation headed straight forward?  I don't have a scientific explanation, but my mom answer is this: I will enjoy as many side by side conversations as possible.  I love talking with my daughters!!

The First Dinner - Slice of Life Challenge

Is there anything more fun as a mom of older children than the "first dinner"?  Those of you with older children know what I mean -- that first dinner you prepare/share with your child on their visit home after being gone at college or at the place they now reside.  And, at least in our family, much thought and deliberation goes into deciding of what exactly that meal will consist.

True to tradition, our youngest daughter came home on Wednesday for a long weekend from college.  But, I got the phone call about her "first dinner" the weekend before.  She listed four different foods she wanted for her first meal home, and fretted about which one should be her final pick.  The meal's main requirement was that it needed to have meat.  She eats very little meat at college, and tries to remedy that while visiting at home.

I love the deliberations she was making while talking to me on the phone -- should it be chicken enchiladas, meatloaf with mashed potatoes, sloppy joes, or a taco bar??  Decisions, decisions.  The amount of thinking that went into making her choice would serve her well when studying for exams (but I digress, slightly).  My job was just to listen to her list the pros and cons of each choice, and then enthusiastically agree with whatever decision she made.  After much back and forth, meatloaf and mashed potatoes were declared the winner.

On Wednesday, the actual evening of the dinner, it was wonderful to watch her devour her favorite foods that I had lovingly prepared.  However, the real gift of the meal was the conversation that accompanied it.  What a gift as a parent to have a child back at the table from which she has been absent too long!  My children think the food they choose is the most important part; I know that their presence and their conversation is why I will continue to happily make whatever food they request for their "first dinner".

Please check out more Slices of Life at the Two Writing Teachers blog.

Slice of Life Challenge - March 1

This past weekend was the Dublin Literacy Conference, and it was time for the last session of the day.  I had the opportunity to spend time with Ruth Ayres, one-half of The Two Writing Teachers blog, as she talked about making writing mini-lessons meaningful.

Ruth had so many important things to say, but the one thing she said that I kept coming back to in my own head was the idea that to be a writing teacher, we need to live a writing life.  My apologies to Ruth, but my mind started drifting off from her presentation as I thought about this past year, and how much writing I did NOT do.

About ten months ago, I had knee replacement surgery, and to say my recovery was a much different experience than I expected, would be a major understatement!  I thought I would have all this time to read, write, and catch up on life in general.  Truth be told, while on pain medications and even a little after that, my mind was a sieve and unable to hold attention on any one thing for longer than five minutes (and that was a good day).  Then, there were all the exercises and rehabilitation -- all that took time and often left me exhausted.  Not much writing happening in my life.

At the point when my energy and focus finally started to come back, it was time to start getting my classroom ready for new groups of students, and start the marathon of the first months of fall.  Beginning of the year assessments, getting to know my students, my own parents' illnesses and traveling often to see them, parent-teacher conferences, progress reports, getting ready to present at NCTE in Chicago, holiday festivities.  Wow!  More time had flown by and still no writing.

So, on this Saturday of the Dublin Literacy Conference 2012, I realized I needed to step up my game.  It was time to become a writer again.  I was going to start writing and doing it on a regular basis.  And then, as karma would have it, Ruth was sharing in her session how one way to lead a more full writing life would be to participate in the Slice of Life Challenge that they host at Two Writing Teachers for the month of March.  Aha!  What better way to practice being a writer than doing it each and every day?!

So there you have it - my reason for starting this challenge today.  Life can get in the way of our best intentions sometimes, as my life this past year amply demonstrates.  But there comes that moment in time when we need to grab the reins, and get back in control of the situation ourselves.  This is my moment.  Let March and the Slice of Life Challenge begin as I test who I am as a writer! 

Thanks to those of you who have agreed to be my online writing support group, and for anyone else who stops by to check on my progress as a writer this month, thank you as well.

Before You Go: A New Venture for James Preller

James Preller is a friend of Literate Lives. He is one of the first authors to make contact with us, and Karen and I felt like we had really made it when a real author commented on something written on our blog. He was the first author I hosted in the library when I switched jobs and our time with him was a huge success. This past weekend I got to spend some more time with him serving as his official host at the Dublin Lit Conference and I enjoyed every minute of it, hopefully he did too.

Before coming to the conference James sent me an ARC of his new YA title Before You Go. He and I have something in common on this novel, it's his first journey into the world of young adult fiction, and it's my first YA review. I'm saying that as something of a disclaimer, I don't claim to be an expert in this genre, and I don't really have anything to compare to Before You Go. I also don't expect to review too many other YA selections since they don't fit in our elementary library. That being said, here goes.

The book opens with a car wreck. Four people in a car on a dark night on a lonely road. One of them is killed, but the reader doesn't know the identity. The rest of the story flashes back to shortly, several weeks before the accident and goes through the life of some typical Long Island teenagers.

The main character, Jude, is working at a refreshment stand on Jones Beach the summer between his junior and senior years. Jude has never gotten over the death of his little sister when he was supposed to be watching her seven years ago, when he was only nine. Characters move in and out of the story, his best friend Corey, his co-worker Roberto, his first love Becka, his high school buddies Vinnie "The Italian Stallion" Puche and Lee.

The characters move in and out interacting with each other in very believable ways, always making the reader which one is the victim of the accident. I changed my mind too many times to count and it really kept me reading to find out. The characters are real, and as a dad to a teen age son, the relationships between the boys is spot on! It's obvious that James has spent time with teen age boys because the conversations and insults exchanged are thing I've heard my son and his friends say to one another. I really thing boys are going to be able to read this book and find themselves in at least one of the characters along the way.

The story is well written and again James Preller chooses word for maximum effect. As in his books for younger readers, Bystander and Six Innings the characters are strong and developed and easy to relate to. His words bring the reader into the story and create feelings that left me thinking about this book for a long time.

As I said, this is not an elementary book, it is written for older students, so I won't be purchasing it for my library, but as a YA selection it's strong.

Dublin Literacy Conference 2012

What an amazing day yesterday was!  It was the annual Dublin Literacy Conference, and the energy at the location was contagious.  From the moment I walked in the doors of the high school that serves as the Conference's venue, it was such a happy time.  Seeing friends from the Dublin district in which I work, seeing friends from districts both near and far, and meeting new friends -- the conversations and hugs were a sign the day was going to be something special.

We started the day singing and moving with Eric Litwin and James Dean of Pete the Cat fame, and then got to hear the keynote speech of the incredibly smart and talented reader/teacher, Donalyn Miller (aka The Book Whisperer).  Wow!  I have so many quotes from her session that I don't even know where to begin.  The biggest takeaway is that we, as teachers of reading, need to have lives that are full of reading personally.  Not a problem for me, but so great to hear Donalyn reinforce that thinking again.

In the first breakout session, Bill and I presented what has become an annual event for us -- So Many Books, So Little Time.  We spent 45 minutes sharing with a packed room the titles that we thought were incredibly special this past year, and even shared some amazing titles that have already come out in 2012.  For those of you who couldn't be with us, or those of you who might want to share this  list with others, here is the link to the google doc where the list lives.  We hope you find it beneficial.

After our session, I didn't have to go far to hear my friends, Nicole Kessler and Deb Frazier - their session was in the same room.  Their presentation was on the power of using VoiceThread as a tool to help young writers express their thinking.  Smart thinking that had me wondering how I could utilize this tool with my 5th graders.

Following their session, it was lunchtime and then time to browse books.  As I walked through the cafeteria, I thought to myself that I bet the noise level of educators talking excitedly would give a high school lunch period noise level a run for its money any day! :)

The afternoon keynote was given by the incredibly talented Sharon M. Draper.  I've been a huge fan of hers since I read Out of My Mind.  But hearing her speak, making some critical points about teaching while making us all laugh out loud, made me respect her all the more.

I spent the final session of the day learning from the lovely Ruth Ayres.  The focus of her conversation was how do we make mini-lessons relevant and meaningful.  Whether you are in a district where you have a scripted program or one that doesn't, it is our job to make the lessons have a connection with the students.  The other thing she talked about was a mirror image of what Donalyn had said in her morning keynote - in order to be a writer, you need to have a writing life.  She strongly encouraged us to join her and Stacey at The Two Writing Teachers blog for the month of March.  They will be hosting the Slice of Life challenge.  This will be an opportunity to write about a slice of life each day for that month.  After being such a haphazard writer for the past year, I am looking forward to the challenge and the focus of writing every day.

And I love when learning and thinking extends beyond the conference.  It was great to continue conversations with friends and colleagues that evening; the wonderful food and drink didn't hurt, either.

 I'd like to say a huge thank you to all of the teachers on the Dublin Literacy committee.  I know that they put in many long hours making this conference run so smoothly so the rest of us could sit back and enjoy the day and gather so many new learning.

One final note - there were so many of us there tweeting out all the smart and important things that happened, that it became hard to keep track of it all.  I'd like to say a HUGE thank you to Christine Yarzabek for finding a forum that captured all of the tweets with the #dublit12 hashtag.  What a gift to be able to go back and read through everyone's thinking about this amazing day.  In addition, if you couldn't be with us, checking out this link is the next best thing to being there.  Sure hope you can join us next year for #dublit13!!!!