Genius Hour

I finally felt that one of my classes were ready to start talking about Genius Hour. I made a Prezi with a few inspirational quotes and ideas to get my fifth graders thinking. Then we watched a video about Caine's Arcade, followed up by a TED Talk by young Caine himself. 

I asked my class to write something that they are passionate about or would want to spend the next quarter discussing. The responses that they wrote on our "Wonder Wall" were, in a word, astounding. 

Here are few for your enjoyment :) 

Two boys want to work on a Genius Hour project to "kill cancer." When asked about why, they shared that it was because of their 2nd grade teacher, who just last year, finished up her second bout with cancer. I love their passion and I can't wait to see what happens with these amazing kids. 

Whole Brain Teaching

I've been pondering this post for some time now, not quite sure how to start it and what exactly to share. When you find a teaching tool that you absolutely love, it's so challenging to decide what is important and why others should adopt it, too. 

But here we are. 4 weeks into school, I just sent home Progress Reports (as if that's not crazy enough). 

Day one of WBT was fabulous. I taught the 5 Rules and the kids were incredibly engaged. In the past, I've approached classroom rules as a community. We would brainstorm expectations for behavior, what the students thought was important, etc. Then we'd make a few rules based on what they all wanted from their classroom. Sure, it's research-based. Sure, they feel "a part" of it all. And trust me, I really don't mean to offend anyone who uses this strategy, because I had used it for the past 6 years, but I think the students ultimately know that we have a secret "rule agenda" with this practice. Either way, I feel that the students aren't as invested in the rules as we hope for them to be. But wait! There's hope! WBT rules engage the students from minute one with gestures. I think they secretly love that while they're talking about rules, they're allowed to be loud and active. 

I implemented the Score Board right away as well. I've seen a lot of success with it, although I definitely need to practice more often with the appropriate ways to do an "Oh Yeah" and "Mighty Groan." (if this sounds like a foreign language to you, don't hesitate to click on the links throughout this post to watch some videos).  

"Class, Yes" is one of the best parts about WBT, and it's really just the attention-getter. I see a lot of success with this aspect of the framework, but I have a group of social girls who take an extra 20 seconds to turn their heads. It drives me crazy. I'm wondering if it's appropriate for me to give a Teacher point as a result of that small group. Chris Biffle says not to do it for one student, but what about a group? Maybe I just need to take a look at my seating chart. 

But hands-down, my favorite part of WBT has been "Teach, Okay." When I give the signal, students turn and teach (either mirroring each other or taking turns) whatever concept I just introduced. The ideal timeframe is: 

1. Teach for 45 seconds
2. Teach, Okay
3. Reteach or add information
4. Teach, Okay

For some concepts, I give the gesture (especially if they're ones we're going to return to time and time again). For others, I've put that on the students. For example, in my Social Studies class, we studied the Maya this week. I don't have the energy or creativity to create a gesture for everything, so when students did "Teach, Okay," I had them make up gestures for the concepts they were teaching to their partner. The kids really took it seriously and I could tell that they were thinking about what was in their notes and how they could turn that into a gesture. Luckily, my principal was doing a walkthrough eval at that time, and she was really impressed with how much was going on in the classroom. 

She's always said that "the ones who are doing the talking are the ones who are doing the learning," and with WBT, the students are doing SO MUCH talking!!! Add in the kinesthetic benefits, and we are set for a great year :)

The beginning.... Whoa.

I haven't posted in several weeks, and I apologize! I went on vacation for two weeks and as soon as I got back, had to begin working in my room.

So after an amazing two weeks out of the country, I walked into my classroom and this is what I saw: 

 

So while I was away, my carpet was replaced with tile.... And everything was literally tossed back into the room. It was one of those moments where I was so overwhelmed by what I was looking at that I didn't even know where to start. 

After putting in a few long days (and they had to be long; I only had a week until the first day!), the room finally felt close enough to ready. Here are a few before and after pictures: 

Cute, right? I finally learned how to sew in a straight line, so the curtains that I bought five years ago were sewn and installed :)

Flash forward to today. The first day. Honestly, I had a lot planned and felt good about the day. But you're still nervous. This is Year 7 for me, and I'm still nervous on the first day. As a result, we always read First Day Jitters. If you haven't read it, it's a worthwhile first-day read. I won't give it away, but I encourage you to check it out. 

One of my favorite first day activities is Saving Fred. I heard about Saving Fred somewhere online (okay, it was Pinterest), and found a picture of a great  resource that Becky over at Fourth Grade Fanatic made (link here: http://4thgradefanatic.blogspot.com/2011/08/first-week-fun-saving-fred.html?m=1). The link to the resource didn't work for me, so I did make one of my own. Please know that this resource was not my idea! Credit goes to Becky! 

Basically, Fred is a gummy worm whose boat capsized before he could put on his life vest. The goal is to use a paper clip (each student gets one) to get Fred out from underneath his cup and into his life vest. 

It's such a fun activity and the kids have a really good time. After the activity, the kids complete a flow chart, description of events, and discuss the problems that they had. This is a good time to see what their writing skills look like, too. 

ps- Sorry about the Groucho Marx "stickers" - I sent home the Internet/photo permissions today, so until those come in, it's Marx faces! 

pps- I introduced Whole Brain Teaching procedures today, but I'll wait and do a more detailed post about that at the end of the week. But lets just say it's made for a very engaging first day!   

July Currently

Okay, I alluded (ha! "Stressed about"may be more appropriate) to several of the things on this currently, but I finally looked up and found directions on how to actually DO a currently in this blog post, so here it is!!

Listening - Jake Bugg is an indie guy that is played on our local radio station, and his album is $5 on Amazon this month! Matt Nathanson is a hottie tottie whom I've loved for years, and is promoting this album in Columbus in November, so I'm learning the new stuff :) 

Loving - Today was one of those days. It stormed and poured all morning, but the afternoon was beautiful! After last summer's drought, I swore I would never complain about the rain again (I like green grass too much!). 

Thinking - see previous post for the list. I love the first week of school, so I always strive to make it the most productive time. I know a lot of other teachers use it just to get to know the kids and sort of ease into the school year; I don't believe that this is the best approach. I love to get to know the kids, but we have to start off the way that we want every day to go. Hence my preparations :)

Wanting - Let's be honest. This one probably isn't going to happen. I've just got too many other things going on, hahaha. But don't we all like to come home to a clean house?

Needing - I'm going to have to scheme in order to get into my classroom. But I can get some things laminated and set up beforehand. 

Tips, hints, or tricks - I've realized that I am extremely ADD when it comes to work things. I'll start one project, see something on Pinterest that sparks my memory, and I'll be onto something new without finishing the first thing. Yikes. Get that mess under control, Gab. 

Now it's your turn! Download the currently and head over to Chickadee Jubliee's blog for instructions!

As always, thanks for giving my little blog some of your attention today :)

The ever-growing To-Do list

Seriously. It just keeps getting longer. 

What you're seeing is actually Page 3. Page 3. In July. And really, this is only the outline for my first week of school. You oughta see the list of things to accomplish before the kiddos come. 

Typically, my to-do list really gets hammered out during the first week of August, so why am I working on it NOW? 

Well that's because I'll be going on a little thing called VACATION next week :D After vacation, I will have exactly one week before the first day of school, so this is officially the shortest amount of time I've had to prep for the school year. I'm feeling stressed in a new way, since my classroom is being used for summer school. Oy vey. 

I always love finding new teacher blogs. Teachers have so much knowledge and experience to share; it is such a blessing to find one or a few who mirror your teaching style and personality. Thanks to the world of Pinterest (my summer PD), I came across Mrs. Ripp's blog, a 5th grade teacher in Wisconsin. She posted a similar list of first week activities, which mine resembles quite a bit! She has some phenomenal ideas in this post. 

What does your to-do list look like? Is anyone else feeling the crunch? 

Whole-Brain Teaching

Also known as "Power Teaching."

Last year, visiting a friend who teaches first grade, I saw the cutest little sign on her door. It talked about how they're a "whole brain" class, which means they'll be loud and repeat their teacher - A LOT! I was interested in this, but didn't give it a whole lot of thought (simply because once school starts I feel like I don't have enough time to think about anything new!!).

But here it is summertime; oh sweet, sweet summertime. With a hearty internet connection and a few hours to spare, I dove right into this Whole Brain Teaching phenomenon. Whole brain teaching, the brainchild of Chris Biffle of www.wholebrainteaching.com, focuses on engaging students in their learning throughout the entire lesson. It requires active participation, repetition, speed, and enthusiasm. As we all know, during a lecture, students drift off, doze off, daydream, and who knows what else. In order to combat this, the teacher employs certain techniques to grab the class' attention, involve them in the lesson, and to reinforce learning through peer teaching/review.

I feel that I could not possibly share all of the benefits of whole-brain and power teaching here, in my own words. I encourage you to see it in action. Click here for a link to Chris Biffle's YouTube channel. He shares 8 video lessons on whole-brain teaching and how to implement it, as well as countless examples of whole-brain teaching in action.

If you employ whole-brain teaching in your classroom, I would love to hear about your experiences!!! Comment below to share successes, struggles, how you implemented it, etc.

I'm beyond excited to implement this in the fall. Stay tuned :)

How ever will I manage?

Dream Class, by Michael Linsin 

Somehow, through the blogosphere, I discovered Michael Linsin, author of Dream Class. I signed up for his weekly emails about classroom management. Since management was an area of struggle for me in the beginning of my career, I was especially interested. In my opinion, some years I have a great class, other years, I have good classes with challenging students. As a result, I'm always interested in ways in which I can benefit even my most challenging students through better management techniques and strategies. AAAAAND if those students are better managed, then the other students get the benefit of uninterrupted learning. And lets' be honest, that's what every teacher wants, and ultimately, what our students want, as well. 

Anyway, I had a colleague who was really struggling with classroom management on the whole this year. Since I can empathize greatly, I recommended that she sign up for the weekly emails from Michael Linsin. She ordered his book and felt that it could really transform her teaching. Upon her recommendation, I ordered the book and just finished it up yesterday. I now see what the fuss is all about :)

Linsin urges teachers to design their management system (and consequences) and to stick to it calmly and consistently. I find that this is my biggest struggle - consistency. I'm sure I'm not the only one who struggles with this, but I know that my students will only benefit if I improve.  

The first step is a verbal warning. Next, Linsin advocates time out as a consequence. When your classroom is an engaging place where learning happens, then time out is appropriate; students have FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and will make smarter choices in order to be brought back into the group. If another infraction occurs, then students are given a letter to take home and get signed. If the letter is signed and returned the next day, the student earns their free time. However, each day that the letter does not get returned to school, the student misses out on their recess and must spend it with the teacher. They don't get to socialize with the teacher or help out in the classroom; it is spent missing out. 

I'm all about it. And with some fancy new tricks that I've learned hanging out up my sleeve (think: Whole Brain teaching, post to come), time out and FOMO will be a powerful management tool in my classroom. 

Stay tuned, friends :) 

Check out Michael Linsin's website: http://www.smartclassroommanagement.com/ 

Let the shopping commence!

Do you remember that commercial? 

The one where the parents are skipping along happily down the aisles of the office supply store, while the kids are moping in the cart? It signified the start of back-to-school shopping. 

That was me, today. My colleague Beth and I started our supply shopping today. Since we don't have any classroom money with which to buy supplies this year, we decided to get a jump start and take advantage of the "penny deals." Obviously, we are deal hunters, so we stuck to the list and used all of the coupons. 

Even though the deals for teachers have changed in both stores,  Office Max still beats Staples hands down. Aside from phenomenal customer service, you can get double the limit at the advertised price. At Staples, you can only get the limit, but can pay full price for the penny items, getting the full price back in 

rewards. So yeah, there's a limit. 

Anyway, we walked out of Office Max with over $60 worth of supplies for $32:

-composition books

-pronged pocket folders 

-glue sticks  

-12 pack of Sharpies (for $1!!!!!!!)

-dry erase markers 

-2 dry erase boards 

-desk calendar 

I know that the kids hate school shopping in July, but if I can get boatloads of supplies for $32, I'll make a week to trip with zero complaint. Plus, when you have a mild addiction to office supplies, you look for a reason :) 

She gives and takes away

The Messenger, by Lois Lowry. 

The Messenger is a "companion novel" to everyone's favorite eighth grade read, The Giver. This is actually the third book, the second being Gathering Blue. The Giver centers on Jonas. Gathering Blue centers on Kira, but seems to be out of nowhere; the stories are related in that they have a few similar ideas. But it all comes together in The Messenger. 

There is never a direct reference to The Giver, but Lowry leaves the reader to connect the dots. I absolutely love this about this "series." I get tired of books that recap what happened in previous books, as so often it in done very poorly. 

(I always think of the Twilight series when I reference this; it really is just awful)

I finished this book last night, but couldn't write about it, as the ending was unexpected the way that it happened, and I was so wrought with sadness that I just went to bed. Despite my emotion, I highly recommend it. There is a fourth, Son, in this "quartet" series, so I'll have to get my hands on that pretty quickly. 

Girls... In baseball?

A Strong Right Arm: The Story of Mamie "Peanut" Johnson, by Michelle Y. Green 

Okay, so reason number 796 why the Book-A-Day challenge is amazing: this book has been on my shelf for years in the "Sports" basket. Never did I realize that Mamie "Peanut" Johnson was a female baseball player in the Negro Leagues after World War II. 

This school year, I'm going to start Genius Hour with my classes. If you don't know about Genius Hour, it is essentially giving students 20% of the week (1 class period) to research and work on a project  of their choosing. Students employ incredible research and technology skills, and create high-quality projects and presentations. Anyway, if I were a child in my class, this is something that I would want to research during Genius Hour - the Negro Leagues. 

Peanut Johnson has such a cool story. Check it out. 

Classics.

The Witches, by Roald Dahl

When I look at the stack of books that I have set aside for the Book-A-Day challenge, I can't help but realize how very few classic children's books I've read in my life. An avid reader as a child, I found books and series' that I liked, and read every single one of them, never venturing far. For example, I've read nearly every one of Ann M. Martin's Baby-sitter's Club series, as well as The Boxcar Children. 

I vividly remember reading James and the Giant Peach as a child, so of course it was easy to fall right in love with The Witches. The only thing I could think of while reading this book is how great of a read-aloud it would be.  Now, since I'm probably last teacher on the planet to read The Witches, kids have probably already read or heard it. But it'll be worth a shot. I'll just have to figure out when in the year this is going to happen; Wonder and The One and Only Ivan are student read-aloud favorites. We'll make it happen :) 

ps-I haven't been very consistent with a daily book, but with one third of the summer completed, I am incredibly thrilled with the reading adventures that I've had this far. Thank you for reading and supporting right along with me! 

Real life.

Notes From the Dog, by Gary Paulsen

Wow. What a book. 

Although the characters are incredibly quirky, this book delves into subjects with which many kids can identify: being an introvert, broken families, cancer. 

14 year-old Finn plans to spend his summer avoiding people and reading his stack of library books. Then he meets Johanna, a 24 year-old breast cancer survivor who is house-sitting next door. Johanna has a plan for Finn for the summer, and he learns much about himself, growing immensely in that summer. 

Although a quick read, it may be best for mature readers, so that they can pick up on the mature themes and subtleties within. 

Abrupt ending.

The River, by Gary Paulsen

So the theme for the month of June has to be Paulsen or survival-related. I just can't get enough. This is another Brian book, where a military training group asks Brian to return to the wild with very few supplies in order to walk them through how to survive in the wild. Most of them have never been in true survival situations, so it is completely a learning experience. 

As with all of the Brian books, it just can't be an easy trip in the woods. Armed this time with only a knife, Brian must survive. Not only survive, but ensure the safety/survival of Derek, the military psychologist who got hit by lightning on the first night and is in a coma. 

A crazy twist in the middle keeps you drawn to Brian, but the story has quite the abrupt ending. I must admit, though, nearly all of the Brian books have abrupt endings. This makes sense, given the life or death aspect of survival stories.  

This book really should be read before Brian's Hunt. It's obviously not necessary, but you see Brian's natural growth throughout The River, which helps to shape the Brian that we see in Brian's Hunt. Either way, The River is a great continuation of Brian Robeson's story. 

Bits and bobs of wisdom

The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Middle School, by David Borgenicht, Ben H. Winters, and Robin Epstein. 

We've all probably seen some version of a Worse Case Scenario Survival book. I love the quirky way that they're written, with this underlying humor to each entry. They are so informative and typically include quality information. 

The same goes for the Middle School version. Even though I teach fifth grade, which in our district is still elementary school, so many of the topics are GREAT for fifth graders to read. Especially the sections on dealing with bullies, cliques, laughing off uncomfortable situations, etc. For example, one of the sections on making friends with groups essentially tea he's kids how to use sarcasm for their benefit. Now I know that teachers aren't supposed to use sarcasm (whoops!), but it can be such a powerful tool to ward off bullies or bad mojo. Here's a little excerpt of advice that I thought was particularly helpful to kids: 

Kids need to know that sarcasm, regardless of how/why it's used, is quite prevalent in society. They need to be able to recognize it and use it when appropriate. This probably doesn't sit well with many teacher friends :-/

Anyway, the "just for boys" and the "just for girls" sections are short and sweet, but tackle real issues that happen to middle school kids. 

My only critique is that it is written using so much slang. Slang is a great way to get through and to be relatable to this age group; however, much of the slang is outdated. Even though it was only written in 2009, slang changes incredibly quickly, so this book may be a little dated. If the authors can figure out how to be relatable without using dated slang, then they'll truly have a winner. 

If you know of a middle schooler, pick this up for them.  I'm actually already thinking of ways to use this book next school year. Think: jigsaws and DIY :)

 

Back to my first love

No Passengers Beyond This Point, by Gennifer Choldenko 

Remember when you were a kid, and you read your first Judy Blume or Beverly Cleary book? You read the first book, and then another, and then another? You just couldn't get enough of the books that this author released? This is how I felt about Gennifer Choldenko, after reading Al Capone Does My Shirts, when I was in a Children's Lit class in college. I consumed that book, and whole-heartedly excited about the others that she released during that time. 

Fast forward 8 years or so at a Half-Price Books clearance sale. There I am, tossing $1 and $2 books in my basket like a crazed woman. To be fair, it was the first week of summer break and I'm a Language Arts teacher. I go nuts any time there's a book sale. 

I didn't even read the book blurb when I saw Choldenko's name on the cover - it went immediately in the basket. 

It's been a long time since I've been genuinely enthralled with the action and events in a book like I was while reading No Passengers Beyond This Point. Immediately I loved the characters, empathizing with them. The twists and turns of the novel kept me thinking and trying to connect the dots to make sense of what I was reading. This is what I love about fantasy - the dots. 

I also really liked the way that the book was written, each chapter from the point of view of one of the three main characters. In this way, the reader really is able to understand how the character thinks and operates. 

This was a great book, with some wild twists and genuine concern for the characters' well-being. Highly recommended. Don't think about it. Just do it. 

Freedom is coming, oh yes I know

Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom, by Rae Bains and Joanne Mattern 

I first bought this book as a 6-book set for Guided Reading groups. It's a great nonfiction trade book for teaching text features. I've found that kids tend to really like reading biographies. Especially after they have an experience that leads them to certain biographies. For example, we participated in a Living History day during a Fifth Grade Camp trip a few years ago, and I saw a huge increase in the number of books about slavery and the Underground Railroad that the kids chose to read. 

Anyway, this little book is a quick read for grown-ups, but it well-written and has some black/white illustrations on every couple of pages. Its facts are accurate, and covers basic information about our favorite Underground Railroad conductor, Harriet Tubman. What I liked the most about it was that it gave a very real depiction of what slavery was like, not only for slaves generally, but for the slaves on the plantation where Harriet loved. It showed just why Harriet felt that it was important for her to escape and to being others to freedom. 

Show me a smile!

Smile, by Raina Telgemeir

Smile is a great and well-loved graphic novel. It's been on my shelf for a couple of years, and a topic of conversation in more than a couple of Twitter #titletalk chats. 

The story is autobiographical, chronicling the experiences that the author/main character Raina went through with her teeth. Many kids can relate to tooth injuries, and even more can relate to having to wear braces, which is what makes this such a great story. Reading it, there were times when I really laughed out loud, remembering the feeling of having a mold taken of your mouth to fit you for a retainer; the mouth breathing technique and the feeling that you're going to DIE.

More importantly than being able to relate to the braces aspect of the story, kids (and especially girls) can relate to how Raina must make tough decisions about her friends and choices as she travels through middle and high school. 

If you know a young girl who may be going through these experiences, definitely get Smile into her hands. Or, if you're a girl who grew up in the 90's and are looking for a blast from the past, do the same :) 

My FAVORITE part: 

I always love a good bit of historical fiction

Dangerous Waters: An Adventure on the Titanic, by Gregory Mone

As a history nerd, I've always loved works of historical fiction. This one is no different. The book centers on young Patrick, who tricked his way into working   aboard the Titanic, and passenger Harry Widener, a rare book collector. Quite the scandal erupts regarding a certain book in Harry's possession, all at the time when the Titanic is sinking. Knowing full well what happened to the Titanic, there is still this thrill and desire to find out what happens. I guess that's how it is with historical fiction; you ultimately know how things turn out, but what desperately o see the resolution for this new character. 

The book is extremely accurate in terms on the Titanic. The author did much research. Additionally, there was actually a passenger on the ship who carried Harry's name and was a book collector. I love this blend of imagination for his part of the Titanic story. 

ps-I know that I've been behind on Book A Day. I hope to catch up, but I'm playing mommy to a few kiddos this weekend so it might be a while!! Please be forgiving :) 

Honest Abe

Abe Lincoln: The boy who loved books, by Kay Winters and Nancy Carpenter

This is a great little picture book which outlines the childhood of Abraham Lincoln. It has the ability to really show kids how its okay that they might not "fit" in the way that their parents or family might expect them to. During Lincoln's childhood, he and his family went through a lot of change, loss, and hard work, and he turned it into something incredibly successful as an adult. 

I love the way that the book is written. Words are arranged in a poetry format, but do not rhyme like standard poetry. The illustrations are beautiful and really help students to increase their comprehension of the text. 

I feel like I really know him

Brian's Hunt, by Gary Paulsen

Have you ever read a book and felt as if you were actually friends? That is becoming, more and more often, true with Brian Robeson, of the Gary Paulsen Brian books. 

Brian's Hunt is a quick read. Many students read it this year, after Hatchet, and I heard many complaints of a slow beginning. I can see where a 10-year old might think that. Brian is two years older, and since his time in the woods, has become increasingly reflective, observing, and nearly unable to function in typical society. Students have a hard time empathizing with this, it seems. So again, it makes sense why they would struggle. 

Many students abandoned Brian's Hunt this year. Oh how I wish they would've stuck with it. In the future, I'll be able to coach students through their reading experiences with Brian so that they can see the book to its completion. 

Freedom isn't free

Profiles: Freedom Heroines, by Frieda Wishinsky

This great non-fiction read outlines the early life, struggles, and tireless efforts in the fight for equality of six women who were all integral to the success of the Women's Suffrage Movement and the Civil Rights Movement. The following strong women are highlighted in the book: 

Susan B. Anthony

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Jane Addams 

Ida B. Wells

Alice Paul 

Rosa Parks 

Like most, I was familiar with Anthony, Stanton, Wells, and Parks. It was the bios of Addams and Paul that I was unfamiliar with. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the women who, without their tireless fight, made voting and equal rights possible for women today. 

The author clearly shared the struggles of each woman, but I'm not entirely convinced that this would be a book that I could use for the majority of my students, as she frequently used expressions and idioms that would be difficult for kids to understand. The Introduction would be especially challenging; however, the bios would be manageable. 

I could see splitting the class into six groups, focusing one on each bio, highlighting big ideas, and comparing/contrasting what has been learned. Since I'm integrating Language Arts and Social Studies this year, this could be especially beneficial.  

Hate that cat? Not for long

Hate That Cat, by Sharon Creech 

If you've ever struggled with poetry - reading it, writing it, teaching it - I give you Hate That Cat.  Miss Stretchberry has moved up a grade with her students, who are reading/writing through another poetry unit (Love That Dog is another Creech MUST read! And is the first book written from Jack's point of view). Jack's poems focus on his hatred of cats, more specifically, the mean neighborhood cat. 

Jack is a clever student who has an incredibly supportive teacher, encouraging him to write poems however he would like.... They don't have to rhyme! Woo hoo! That's been my biggest struggle with teaching poetry - getting kids to see/understand that poetry doesn't have to rhyme. 

At all.  

       At all. 

              At all. 

ps- students in my class can expect to read a lot of the poems that Miss Stretchberry used - they're perfect choices! 

Taking time to read before Derecho

The Adventures of Molly Whuppie and Other Appalachian Folktales, by Anne Shelby 

I first discovered Molly Whuppie at the Book Fair a few years ago, looking for a text to teach folk tales. I used an excerpt  last school year as an example text for our genre study. The kids loved the stories that we read. Maybe they loved the stories, maybe they loved the funny way that their teacher was reading aloud to them. ☺Either way, I'll take it. 

Until today, I haven't sat down and read the remaining stories. The Adventures of Molly Whuppie has several stories about Molly Whuppie, the youngest of three girls who is a brave and clever giant-fighter. Interspersed are other Appalachian folk takes which tend to follow similar themes. 

It's tricky reading a book like this in public. I'm sure the folks at Starbucks think I'm crazy, laughing aloud to myself on Derecho night. 

I'm famous - Hahaha

Miss Smith: Under the Ocean, by Michael Garland 

During Book Fair week, a student in my class bought this book for me - it's so fitting! If you haven't seen one of the Miss Smith books, it reminds me a lot of Ms. Frizzle books, where a teacher and her class go on exciting adventures. However, the reading teacher in me loves this book because it is Miss Smith's Incredible Storybook which transports them directly into whatever story they are reading. 

This is a great way to get students interested in classic literature. I can't wait to read it to my class next year, as these classic stories come ALIVE in Miss Smith: Under  the Ocean. 

Dreaming and imagination

Replay, by Sharon Creech

I may have found a new favorite author for children's literature. I know that so many Twitter teachers love Creech, but this is the first novel of hers that I've read.  

Replay focuses on Leonardo, Leo for short, and his big Italian family. I guess that it's this which I can identify with. In this family, you have a nickname, and if you mess up, no one lets you forget it. Replay is written in third person, but for nearly every "real life" scene, Leo replays  it happening perfectly in his mind, makin it better. I love Leo's imagination and his compassion. 

This is a sweet book that has whet my appetite for Creech's writing. 

Poetry.... For boys?

The D- Poems of Jeremy Bloom, by Gordan Korman and Bernice Korman 

For much of my adult life, I've had a soft spot for poetry. Not standard fancy pants poetry, but humorous poetry written for kids. I identify most with this type of poetry simply because it bucks the system. It rhymes, but not using language that is challenging To understand. It's relatable and real. My mission as an English teacher is partially to open up students to a world of poetry that is entertaining, that they don't have to tear apart and analyze. Because if we're honest, as adults, if we had to tear apart and analyze every piece of "literature" that we read, we would never read for pleasure! (And many of our choices wouldn't pass the quality test). 

Anyway, if you're looking for some entertaining poetry about school, homework, and life as a prankster 6th grader, check out Jeremy Bloom as he battles for his grade in poetry class.   

Dorks and wimpy kids

Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Popular Party Girl, by Rachel Renée Russell. 

Okay, so this series has been circulating amongst the girls in my classes for a couple of years. Maybe I have a skewed perception of it, but it seems to have grown in popularity in tandem with the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Which makes sense, as it's written in a very similar fashion as DoaWK (when you write it enough in reading conferences with kids, you have to abbreviate). 

I borrowed the first Dork Diaries book from a student in my class and couldn't help but literally laugh out loud. Which is fitting since main character and narrator Nikki uses the LOL acronym fairly often. Let's be honest here - it's a diary written from the point of view of a middle school girl. There's a certain amount of "LOL" and "OMG" to be expected. 

Nikki is such a lovable, quirky, and clever character. And as a reader, you truly come to despise Nikki's popular, lip-gloss addict and bully archenemy, Mackenzie. 

As a former middle school girl, I absolutely love this series. It lands so close to my heart. 

If you're looking for a fun afternoon read, with comics and illustrations on every page, check out any title from the Dork Diaries series. 

It's a sequel summer

Brian's Winter, by Gary Paulsen. 

As I've come to realize over the past few years, I've relied largely on others' recommendations of books rather than my own experience. Such is the case with the remaining "Brian" books that follow Brian Robeson, central character of Hatchet and several sequels. 

 

So this is my summer of catching up with all of the "Brian" books that I've been recommending to students the past five years. I know they're good, so it's a good recommendation, but now I have the experience. 

SPOILER: In Hatchet, Brian is rescued at the end of summer (if you're a teacher and haven't read this book, I don't feel bad about this spoiler - get on it!). Brian's Winter explores the idea that had been posed by many readers: what if Brian hasn't been rescued? What if he had to go through hard winter in Northern Canada? 

A short read, but great sequel. Brian learns much about survival, and his knowledge base increased incredibly. Over the years, I've grown quite fond of Brian, feeling pride in his successes and fear when he's in danger. 

As always, Paulsen doesn't disappoint and I will continue to recommend with confidence :) 

 

Lucky rabbit's foot? How about the whole rabbit.

Orwell's Luck, by Richard Jennings. 

I picked up this little beauty at a warehouse sale, and after taking the time to finally read it, I am so glad that I did. 

Written in first person, from the point of view of a twelve-year old child, Orwell's Luck centers on the narrator and an injured rabbit, Orwell, whom she takes in, cares for, nurses back to health, and makes a family pet. 

If this wasn't sweet enough already, Orwell isn't an ordinary rabbit. He loves words and sends words to the unnamed narrator throughout the book. Therein lies the mystery. 

The cover is deceiving; at first glance, the page numbers and illustrations lead you to think that it's a children's chapter book. But not so. The level of humor, idioms, and general cleverness with which Orwell's Luck is written make it more appropriate for older audiences. Not necessarily adults, but probably junior high students. 

It's definitely a great little read. There is one thing that irked me a bit - I didn't know that the narrator was a girl until about a third of the way through the book. This shouldn't bother me, but it does. I suppose what it shows is the author's fantastic ability to break down gender stereotypes. This is something that is commendable, so I'll let it slide ;) 

Book sequels > movie sequels

The Scorch Trials, by James Dashner

A month or so again, a very passionate group of boys in my class recommended that I read The Maze Runner, also by Dashner. It is the first book in The Maze Runner Trilogy. No jokes - I could not get enough. I hadn't been that glued to a book since The Hunger Games. Apparently in my adult life, I'm very much a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction. 

So back to The Scorch Trials, second book in the trilogy. This book continued to feature my favorite characters from the first book. Nothing that Dashner thought up could surprise me anymore - the world he has created is so outrageously powerful and seemingly twisted. 

Even knowing that there are three books in the series, The Maze Runner ended with me truly feeling shocked at its ending twist. I did not have the same feeling with The Scorch Trials. Every page and chapter kept my interest - and my intrigue at this world - but I was not shocked at the ending of this third of the trilogy. 

Overall, this book was a wonderful part two, further solidifying my belief in sequels for books, NOT for movies (did you ever see The Sandlot 2??? Please). If you are riding the apocalyptic fiction bandwagon as I have been, you will LOVE this series. 

And you don't even have to be an eleven-year old boy. 

ps- this book took me two days to read. But be fair - the last two books were read in the same day. I'm still on target :) 

Read this you shall

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, by Tom Angleberger 

This is one of those books that has been in the hands of my students, but that I was never *quite* sure about. I mean, come on, it's a Yoda made out of origami. 

But the premise of the book is actually pretty cool. Social outcast Dwight makes an origami Yoda finger puppet. The other 6th graders ask Yoda for wisdom, and he almost always gives great advice. The entire book is a "case file" of stories from kids who have gleaned wisdom from Yoda, in order to figure out if he is really wise, or if Dwight is behind all of it. 

I see why this has been so popular with my fifth graders. It is written in such a way that kids can relate, with a good amount of humor on every page. Well done with such a strange idea  :) 

Reliving the "guts"

Guts, by Gary Paulsen. 

Okay, so I've been teaching Hatchet, by Mr. Gary Paulsen, famed young adult author and survivalist, for several years. I had always heard about his autobiographical book, but had never taken the time to dig into it. 

Then along came the Common Core. The Common Core, as you may know, is asking our students to really dig into texts, to find deeper meaning, to compare the aspects of the text to other texts or parts of the same text. So I had this stroke of "genius." Well, it probably wasn't genius so much as a desire to change up the way that I've been doing things. My students always love reading Hatchet, year after year, and I love reading it over and over, so we're always in a good place together. They love hearing about the fact that Paulsen got so many of his ideas for the book from his own life and his own survival experiences. 

I'm so thankful for the Book A Day challenge, which enabled me to get right into Guts today. Sounds pretty disgusting, doesn't it? 

This book is written much in the way that Paulsen writes Hatchet, and you feel as if you're sitting right there with him around a campfire, listening to stories about his life. If you've ever taught Hatchet, you know that it is written in a "stream of consciousness" style of writing. The kids love it, because it mirrors the way that they think, the way that they speak. It is the same in Guts. Paulsen may begin telling one story, jump ship to a similar story or explanation, and then circle back around to the original story. I love it. 

I highly recommend Guts. If you're an addict of the Brian series, you will absolutely eat it up. Not unlike the guts that Paulsen tells of eating. 

                                         

Taking the Challenge

Sleeping in. Enjoying the Today Show with a cup of coffee and nowhere to go for a while. Today is the first day of summer, and with the first day of summer comes the Book-a-Day Challenge!

Over the past couple of years, I've seen the Twitter education community sort of blowing up my timeline with #bookaday tweets. I've never taken part, but this summer makes me feel like the time is right :)

Children's lit guru Donalyn Miller started the challenge, and you can keep up with those participating via twitter. Just search for the hashtag #bookaday to see what folks are reading. I'm going to try and post a mini-review of each book I read here on this site. Stay tuned and thanks for the encouragement on this adventure!!