It's Monday-What Are You Reading? December 9, 2013

Please visit the amazing blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers who host this terrific meme each week.

I read a bunch of picture books and early readers this week. Most were read in an attempt to be a more informed voter for the 2013 Nerdies.  Click here to see the amazing list of contenders. 
Click on the book titles to learn more about the books. 

Picture Books
Fiction

Ribbit 
by Rodrigo Folguiera
Illustrated by Poly Bernatene
Cute book about a pig who thinks he's a frog, much to the dismay of the frog in the pond. 

Tea Party Rules

by Amy Dyckman

Illustrated by K. G. Campbell

A real bear just wants a few cookies, but gets more than he bargains for at this tea party when the little girl mistakes him for her teddy. 

Someday

by Alison McGhee

Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

A sweet story to share with new parents.  

Be warned, it's a real tear-jerker. I was crying in the stacks at the book store, not pretty. 

Picture Books 

Nonfiction

Frog Song

by Brenda Guiberson

Illustrated by Gennady Spirin

In this beautifully illustrated book, the reader will learn about the different sounds frogs make around the world.

Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors?: the Story of Elizabeth Blackwell

by Tanya Lee Stone

Illustrated by Marjorie Priceman

This book is a new favorite nonfiction picture book.  Great example of "girl power". 

Look Up: Bird-watching in Your Own Backyard

by Annette LeBlanc Cate

I know nothing about bird-watching so this book was perfect for me. The format is graphic novelish with lots of pictures and captions.  It is entertaining as well as informative. 

Early Chapter Books/Early Readers

Penny and Her Marble

by Kevin Henkes

This was my first Penny book and it was great.  I can see kids in grades 1-2 loving this series. In this book Penny struggles with her own conscience when she picks up a marble on the sidewalk and takes it home.

Ling and Ting: Nit Exactly the Same

by Grace Lin

I love Grace Lin as a middle grade/YZ author so I was excited about this book.  I really took to these two characters.  It is set up like a chapter book with few sentences in each chapter.  Again, great for grades 1-2. 

A Big Guy Took My Ball

by Mo Willems

I have an author crush on Mo Willems.  I love the Elephant and Piggie books.  This book explores big and small in the cutest way. 

I'm a Frog

by Mo Willems

Kids will be excited to play pretend after reading this Elephant and Piggie book.  

Bowling Alley Bandit

by Laurie Keller

Young kids will like it for its humor, pictures and silliness, but it was not for me.  

Middle Grade/YA

Counting by 7s

by Holly Goldberg Sloan

I'm not sure if I would categorize this book as middle grade or YA, but I loved it.  You will fall in love with Willow Chance.  A touching story of loss, love, family and courage. 

Currently Reading

Better Nate than Ever

by Tim Federle

I am only 2 chapters into this book, but I am enjoying it so far. 

The Energy to Teach

by Donald H. Graves

Donald Graves shed light on a big problem for many teachers, burnout and loss of energy.  Really liking it so far. 

Gigi McAllister teaches at Great Falls Elementary. In her 21 years as an educator, she has taught K-6 special education for 10 years, spent one year at grade 5 and is currently in her 10th year of teaching 4th grade. She is serves on the executive board of the MRA and on the planning committee for nErDcamp Northern New England (have you signed up yet?) You can visit her blog (The Late Bloomer's Book Blog) where she posts about books, reading and classroom practices here. You can also find her on Twitter and on her professional Facebook page. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? November 25

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA! 

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. 

Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and Jen of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. 

What I've finished since my last post:

MG/YA:

Eye of the Storm by Kate Messner

I have been a fan of Kate's since her first book, The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. Unfortunately I've fallen a little behind in reading her books, lately, but I'll get caught up! I love Kate's writing. Her characters are real, her story lines are fun, and I can always confidently recommend her books to anyone! 

Adult:

Along the Way: The Journey of a Father and Son by Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez

I've been working on this one for a while, and gushing about it when ever I have the chance. Even if you are not as huge a fan of Martin Sheen as I am, this is such a beautiful book. The story of their respective journeys in the entertainment industry is fascinating, but their reflections on their choices and their relationship as fathers and sons are amazing. I highly recommend the audio- Martin and Emilio narrate.

What I'm currently reading:
I have several books in process right now and some I may end up abandoning until a future date when I can pick them up again. This is completely due to the constraints on my time and the limits on number of renews at the library and absolutely nothing to do with the books themselves.

YA:

The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida

Adult:

Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Elder Robison

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

I started with the print book and have switched to the audio because of library due dates. I love the audio because it is read by the author. 

Professional:

Pathways to the Common Core by Lucy Calkins, Mary Ehrenworth, Christopher Lehman

Reading in the Wild by Donalyn Miller

Teach Like a Pirate by Dave Burgess

Curriculum Re-reads:

Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston & James D. Houston

My juniors will start this book this week. We just finished Arthur Miller's The Crucible and will tie that and Farewell to Manzanar together with a discussion of the American Dream.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

I will start this with my freshmen and sophomores after the Thanksgiving break. We are just now wrapping up Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, which we have be reading through the lens of relationships. Among other themes in A Tale of Two Cities, we will be looking at our responsibility to our fellow man. 

Natalee Stotz is Head of High School at Windham Christian Academy in Windham, Maine. There she teaches English for grades 9-12 as well as Civics. She also advises the preK-12 school on curriculum, professional development, and literacy. Her passion is for connecting readers with books, and her goal is to create life-long readers. You can follow her on Twitter, @nataleestotz, or read her blog at nataleestotz.blogspot.com

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? November 11, 2013

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA! 

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. 

Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and Jen of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. 

My reading time continues to be limited, but I try to carve out a few minutes here and there to read. One of the benefits of doing in class independent reading with my students is that I get to read. 

My Recent Reads:

Young Adult

One Came Home by Amy Timberlake

I really enjoyed this book set in 1871 Wisconsin. The main character, thirteen-year-old, Georgie, is a delightful, if at times frustrating, narrator. Georgie is a strong main female character, and reminds me very much of Mattie from True Grit.

Adult

The Silver Star by Jeannette Walls

Jeannette Walls is a talented writer and the story just seems to slip by you. I read The Glass Castle this summer and recognized much of Jeannette's own story in the story of Bean and Liz. At first I was concerned that it was going to be a recap of The Glass Castle, but it wasn't long before I was drawn into Bean's world and the unique characters.

My Current Reads:

Adult

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner is one of my favorite novels, and I was eager to read this new novel. I'm just a little way into it and am captivated by the characters and the story telling. 

Along the Way: The Journey of a Father and Son by Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez with Hope Edelman

I've been listening to the audio of this book, which I absolutely love. I purchased the print copy for my husband. When it arrived Friday, I said, "Merry Christmas, Honey!" then took it back to read where I had left off with the audio. I love the comfortable way that Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez narrate the book and the lessons that they share from their life together. This is a beautiful book about the relationship between father and son.

Current Read Alouds with my classes:

9th grade

The Giver by Lois Lowry

No explanation needed here!

10th grade

Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements

Most people know Andrew Clements' middle grade books but his Things Trilogy is rather over-looked in my opinion. When I gave my 10th graders several books to choose from for our read aloud, this was their choice. 

11th & 12th grades

Variant by Robison Wells

Both my 11th and 12th grade classes were intrigued by the idea of being trapped in a private school that turns out to be completely different from what you thought it was going to be. We have had many discussions about what they think is really going on and why, and there have been many days when they wouldn't let me stop with just one chapter. I don't normally read sequels to my class, but I may make an exception with this series and read Feedback to them once we finish. I have already been told by several students that I have to read them the second one. 

Natalee Stotz is Head of High School at Windham Christian Academy in Windham, Maine. There she teaches English for grades 9-12 as well as Civics. She also advises the preK-12 school on curriculum, professional development, and literacy. Her passion is for connecting readers with books, and her goal is to create life-long readers. You can follow her on Twitter, @nataleestotz, or read her blog at nataleestotz.blogspot.com

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? October 28, 2013

Please visit the amazing blogs: Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers who host this terrific meme each week.

Please click on the picture to go to the book's page on Goodreads to learn more about it.

Picture Books

Spork

by Kyo Maclear

Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault

Adorable little Spork is searching for his place in the world.  He's not a fork, nor a spoon and the other utensils shun him.  Until one day a messy "thing" arrives. 

I read this to my 4th graders and they loved it.  They especially liked guessing what the messy thing was and rooting for Spork to find self-acceptance. 

Not A Box 

by Antoinette Portis

Oh the wonders and possibilities of a simple, empty cardboard box.  In this book the rabbit uses the box as a spaceship, robot and a car just to name a few. 

Good for ages 4-8. 

Bob and Otto

by Robert O. Bruel

Illustrated by Nick Bruel

I was delighted to find this book at my library.  I love Nick Bruel's illustrations and after looking into it more, I discovered that Nick Bruel found this story his father had written after his father passed away. He made some minor changes and did the illustrations. 

This is a story of friendship.  Bob and Otto are great friends and enjoy spending their days together on the ground.  

You can read the book online at the site below.

http://us.macmillan.com/bobandotto/NickBruel

Good for grades K-3

Nonfiction Picture Book

 Harlem's Little Blackbird

by Renee Watson

Illustrated by Christian Robinson

This picture book biography is about Florence Mills, a singer/dancer from Harlem in the 1920's. She was lesser known than some more famous African-American performers of the time, but just as influential.  Strangely enough, there are no known audio or video recordings of her voice on record, so her story has been passed down by generations of story tellers. 

Good for grades 3-5.

Poetry

A Stick is an Excellent Thing

by Marilyn Singer

Illustrated by LeUyen Pham

This is a really fun book of short poetry to celebrate outdoor play.  It made me want to roll in some leaves and jump off a swing.  Good for grades 2-4.

Middle Grade

Fortunately, the Milk

by Neil Gaiman

Illustrated by Skottie Young

Although this book was not a favorite for me, many kids will enjoy it for it's over-the-top silliness. A father gets delayed bringing milk home for his two daughters.  The tale he tells about why he is late is the basis for the book. Traveling through time, being captured by pirates and rescued by a stegosaurus in a hot air balloon are just a few events from his tall tale.  The fun, messy illustrations are the best part of this book. 

Good for grades 3-4.

Currently Reading

Frog Burgers 

by Lee Mandel

The Graveyard Book 

by Neil Gaiman

Currently Listening

Waiting for Normal

by Leslie Connor

What Are You Reading Friends?

Gigi McAllister teaches at Great Falls Elementary. In her 21 years as an educator, she has taught K-6 special education for 10 years, spent one year at grade 5 and is currently in her 10th year of teaching 4th grade. She is serves on the executive board of the MRA and on the planning committee for nErDcamp Northern New England (have you signed up yet?) You can visit her blog (The Late Bloomer's Book Blog) where she posts about books, reading and classroom practices here. You can also find her on Twitter and on her professional Facebook page. 

Thursday Thinking: The Intent of Sharon Draper?

Some six, seven years ago I went to a conference at the University of Maine. They had a keynote speaker I had never heard of before. She had written a number of books and was a national teacher of the year. She changed my life. Midway through her keynote, the message centered around reading and the stories behind each book, that is understanding the lives, conflicts, and decisions of the characters. This way, readers could become, not only engaged with reading, but develop a core sense of humanity, thereby developing readers.

After her keynote, I had to ask her “how she did it?” I basically asked, how do you stay true to your values when you are told to “do” so many other things, which at the time, included a significant focus on leveling.

While I have forgotten, verbatim, what she said, the gist this: Always follow your heart. She discussed advocating for students and believing in great teaching.

Sharon Draper is not aggressive. Her message was powerful; inspiring. She was passionate. She was energized to do what was right for students, humanity, and the profession. Sharon Draper recognizes the trials and tribulations of education. She was not fussing or leading war cries, but advocating for students through reading.

Her book Out of My Mind, challenged readers on so many levels, as a teacher and for students. Almost daily, one student is crying. They feel for Melody, not always because of her CP, but because of the way she is treated by teachers and doctors. Sadly, kids empathize. During turn & talk or sharing, my students have readily connected to similar situations where they “lost their voice” or detail how “someone thought for them.”

We read chapter 7, where Melody had to learn ABC's in February of third grade, threw a fit and was sent home. Our read aloud turned into a hootenanny. I began acting out mom's part with the sarcasm and frustration, in addition to playing the besieged Mrs. Billups. Without comprehension question or reading responses, they showed their comprehension the text by yelling out what should happen to the teacher. Other students boasted predictions and little sidebar conversations erupted as students sought a way to express their feelings, including anger, frustration, irritation, and for my CP student, sympathy. As one ed-tech stated afterwards, you could see the kids minds opening.

I can't help but think, this must be exactly what Sharon Draper wanted. Students did not absorb the story passively, rather they recognized the injustice and maltreatment, by voicing their opinions on equality and compassion.

Her message of hope, humanity, empathy, and sympathy with passion, serenity, and patience. In my estimation, all Sharon Draper is asking the world to do is open our eyes and see the world from something other than the “me” first society we have grown accustomed to.

I guess now, the question is, “How does the book change each students life and think about how they treat one another.”

Justin Stygles (@JustinStygles) GR. 5/6 ELA/Humanities teacher, Norway, Maine.  Maine Reading Association Executive Board. IRA Advisory Committee of Teachers

Currently Reading: Almost Super (ARC)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading 10/21/13 by Natalee Stotz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA! 

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. 

Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and Jen of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kidlit focus. 

I've got quite the stack of books to be read, and I'm eager to get to them. Until I do, however, at least one stack is well guarded!

My most recent read was actually a re-read of Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. 

This fall I had the opportunity to hear Lois speak at USM in Portland. My husband has read the entire Giver Quartet, but hadn't read Number the Stars and I encouraged him to read it. I remember reading it back when I was teaching middle grades, and was struck by the beauty and simplicity of the story. Since it had been so long since I read it, I felt a re-read was due. It was as beautiful as I remembered.

I have also recently finished Flesh and Bone, book 3 of Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

This series has been popular with many of my students, I have a freshman boy racing through the series right now. Tonight his mom informed me that over the weekend he chose to read rather then playing video games. If you're not familiar with the Rot & Ruin series, it is about a post-appocolyptic world where zombies are a reality. But the series isn't just about zombies. It is about dealing with loss of a loved one, the value of relationships, the meaning of humanity, and doing what is right in the face of an evil world. 

I have about an hour left of my current audio book, Along the Way:The Journey of a Father and Son by Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez with Hope Edelman.

A long time West Wing fan, I have sought out nearly everything that Martin Sheen has been in. The Way, a movie written and produced by Emilio Estevez and staring Martin Sheen quickly became my favorite. This memoir uses the frame of the writing and filming of that movie to tell the journeys of Martin and Emilio. It tells not only of their relationship to each other, but that of Martin and his own father. The audio is read by both Martin and Emilio, and I am convinced this is the best way to experience this story.

I am always encouraging my students that it is okay to abandon a book that just isn't work for them, and this week I practiced what I preach with The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2) by Maggie Stiefvater.

I just couldn't get into the story. I'll try again later. The same thing happened with book 1, The Raven Boys. I couldn't get into it the first time I started reading it, but later I tried again and loved it.

This week I hope to start Jeannette Walls new novel, The Silver Star.

While difficult to read because of the subject matter, I loved The Glass Castle. Jeanette is an incredibly talented writer, so I look forward to reading her novel.

Natalee Stotz is Head of High School at Windham Christian Academy in Windham, Maine. There she teaches English for grades 9-12 as well as Civics. She also advises the preK-12 school on curriculum, professional development, and literacy. Her passion is for connecting readers with books, and her goal is to create life-long readers. You can follow her on Twitter, @nataleestotz, or read her blog at nataleestotz.blogspot.com