It's Monday! What are you reading?

I'm joining Jen and Kellee at Teach Mentor Texts to share what we've been reading this week. Hopefully, you can pick up some great titles!

What I read this week:

STARRY RIVER OF THE SKY
by Grace Lin (ARC)
This is one story filled with good mini-stories that all tie-in at the end.  A beautifully written MG. Great for a storytelling unit! I'll buy this one when it's released in September. I'll also recommend it for our school library.

REMARKABLE by Lizzie K. Foley
Quirky, eccentric, and fantastic tales from a very peculiar town named Remarkable. MG.The main character doesn't think she's very remarkable at all.  This book will appeal to kids because some really crazy things happen, and there are pirates involved! Funny pirates.

THE FALSE PRINCE by Jennifer A. Nielsen
If you like exciting adventures involving royalty AND filled with mystery, this book fits the bill! The main character is spunky and smart, and the story is filled with plot twists. I can't wait to introduce it with a book talk (which I have to prepare). I can see it being perfect for 4th graders and older.

Picture Books:
Wanted: The Perfect Pet by Fiona Roberton
Betsy Red Hoodie by Gail Carson Levine

What I'm reading now:

Leepike Ridge by N.D. Wilson (Hard to find, but worth the read. Good story so far! )

Captain Underpants & The Terrifiying Return of Tippy Tinkletrousers by Dav Pilkey

(ARC). Release date set for 8/28/12.

What I'm working on right now:

I have some district meetings that require prep time, plus I'll be wrapping up my grad class this week. I wish I could do everything, but I have to sleep and read, too.

Shoes for today: brown/white polka-dot flip flops from Yellow Box!

My Writing Profile

I've spent the last five days working on a paper for a grad class.  It was difficult for me to get the draft completed, and now that it's ready for revision, I'm exhausted. I don't even want to look at it anymore. So I've decided to print a copy and take a fresh look at it in the morning. I'll make sure everything is there that should be, I'll decide if paragraphs need to be moved around, and I'll probably add several parts I haven't even thought of yet. Two or three sections of my paper should also be aware that they won't have a permanent home on my final submission!

How do I know that I'll be doing all of these things? How do I know that I will be laboriously, tediously, and painstakingly stressing over every sentence and wincing at every paragraph I thought was so clever the night before? Answer: I have written enough to know my writing habits.

I wonder if our students know THEIR writing habits. I think knowing them would be very helpful.  It's helpful for me. I know there's an end in sight. I know how I'll feel at certain stages of the process, and knowing this gives me the motivation to go on. It's similar to those profiles you fill out when you join an organization, and they want to know more about you. I've been "filling out" my profile long enough to know it.

Do we give our own students the time to learn about themselves as writers? That all depends on how often they write. Realizing this today is one of my big take-aways from a day of hard work. It's also a good reminder to me that when I open up our Writer's Workshop every day at the same time and give my students the opportunity to write for an extended period (with the schedule only being altered in the case of assemblies or field trips), I am doing the right thing. I am allowing my class of 4th grade writers to learn their own profile.

I'm not the first to make this observation, but this is my way of expressing it: the more we write, the more we know ourselves as writers. (A few more things I know about myself as a writer: I will need a mechanical pencil and Post-its: both of which must come in a fashion color also perfect for shoes. Plus, a good book must always be within reach.)

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Mondays are the days I join in a meme with Jen and Kellee over at Teach Mentor Texts. Jen and Kellee are two wonderful teachers who offer this platform as a way for teachers to share books.

This week I read:

The Templeton Twins Have An Idea
by Ellis Weiner

• ARC from #ALA12: funny, clever mystery with great narration and two smart kids who have great ideas (MG). I'm buying this one, too.

Bad Island by Doug TenNapel

• A GN I bought at the Scholastic Book Summit. One of my students said I "HAD" to read it. I LOVE it when my students recommend books to ME. Very interesting story about a family vacation gone wrong.

Monster by Walter Dean Myers

• A signed copy I waited in line for at the Scholastic Book Summit. YA with mature content. Gritty, suspenseful story about a teenage boy on trial for murder. It's a tough book that will break your heart. Walter Dean Myers is such an excellent writer.  

 Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech

• I checked this one out from the library, but I need my own copy. A fun book about two best friends and a granny you will love. Granny Torrelli invites you into her kitchen to make pasta and listen to her stories. This book made me happy.

Unstoppable by Tim Green

• ARC from #TLA12. Signed! (My librarian picked it up for me!). YA. A great main character who will inspire you. A foster kid with a dream to play football. I won't tell you anymore, because I don't want to spoil it. I'm a big college football fan, and I loved this book--but I loved the non-football part the most.

I am reading:

Remarkable by Lizzie K. Foley
Cardboard by Doug TenNapel (ARC)




I will read:
Before I write this section, I must confess that I usually change my mind about one or two of the titles. I pick the book according to my mood.
The Raven Boys  by Maggie Stiefvater
Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin

School:
My last few grad school projects are due this week, and I'll be spending today in the library studying. While I study, write, read, research, etc., I think about my students, and how my experience will benefit them, too. I'm rewarding myself with a night of free reading.

My campus is still closed due to carpet installation, but I'm planning decor in my head again. Camping theme? New colors?

Shoe choices:
Yellow Box flip-flops for the library
Silver Naturalizer flats when I have to dress up

Scholastic Reading Summit

Yesterday, I attended a Scholastic Reading Summit. I learned a lot from the two guest speakers: Donalyn Miller and Walter Dean Myers. They both spoke about literacy and how critical is it that our students read independently and daily. I was inspired by both of them to continue making sure that my students love to read and read every day, and that they are not 'dependent' on ME to do that.

But here are some other nuggets I learned yesterday:

First, from Donalyn Miller (author of The Book Whisperer and all-around inspirational educator), I learned the importance of sharing many genres with our students. They may not like all of the genres we share, but then again, as she said, they may end up discovering the one they love! Second, book talks have power! They don't have to be rehearsed or perfect, but they should share your excitement about the book. From a fellow participant's tweet at the summit I learned one more thing: If you share one book talk a day, by the end of the year, you will have shared about 180 books a year! And, from Mr. Walter Dean Myers (acclaimed author and National Ambassador of Young People's Literature), I learned that when lack of access to books is an issue in a community or school, we must bring the books to the children. I'm thinking more about this in my own community.

After the great keynotes and sessions, I also bought two books to add to my ever-growing, about-to-topple TBR stacks which now sit around my home waiting for my time and attention.

• Bad Island by Doug TenNapel
• Powerless by Matthew Cody  

As is the case with conferences I attend, it takes me a few days to process. So, I'll post more about this day in the future.

Back to my issue analysis paper and my #bookaday!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This Monday, I once again join Jen and Kellee over at Teach Mentor Texts in their weekly meme. I appreciate how they support readers/teachers!

Since I have several papers due soon, I struggled to find reading time for myself. But it's something I love, and its part of my self-designed professional development, so I make the time. (It just means some late nights!)

THE GREAT UNEXPECTED by Sharon Creech

I was so glad to get this ARC in the mail (thanks Harper Collins)! If you read my ALA WRAP-UP post, you know how I feel about Sharon Creech! I love her books! So when I heard that she had a new title out in September, I made it my mission to read it. I was so happy I did.
This book is about two pairs of people and two stories. (It's not difficult to keep them straight because they're both so intriguing!) Naomi and Lizzie make up one of the pairs. They are both orphans living in an odd little town named Blackbird Tree. They meet strange people in the town (including a boy who falls from a tree), and we see their special friendship carried out in the events of the story. I believe the characters are the very best part of this book; in fact, the character descriptions are perfect writing examples to share in my Writer's Workshop. Mystery and unexpectedness fill this book (as the title suggests), but there is also what makes a Sharon Creech book so wonderful: richness in story and the heartwarming feeling that remains after you finish it.

I also read these titles:
CHAINED by Lynne Kelly; published 5/8/12 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
BABYMOUSE by Jennifer Holm & Matt Holm; published 7/10/12 by Random House Children's Books
THE REVOLUTION OF EVELYN SERRANO by Sonia Marzano (ARC); published 9/20/12 by Scholastic
SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE by Joanne Levy; published 7/3/12 by Bloomsbury USA

This week I am reading:
UNSTOPPABLE by Tim Green (ARC);publishing date: 9/18/12 by Harper Collins

I plan to read:
REMARKABLE by Lizzie K. Foley; published 4/12/12 by Penguin
TEMPLETON TWINS by Jeremy Holmes and Ellis Weiner; publication date: 8/15/12 by Chronicle Books
Journal articles for my issue analysis paper (Lots of nonfiction for me!)

A NOTE ON NONFICTION:
I'm reading research and journal articles, so I'm finding myself being a student again--officially. I highlight, write in the margins, take notes, etc.  Nonfiction reading (scholarly) requires concentration and active participation. I'm an accomplished reader, but when reading these pieces, I must attend and have the energy to do so! If I don't, I will miss something I need to know for later. This is what my students experience.  We read great pieces of nonfiction, but I know they must also learn to read this type of material as well. What more can I do in the classroom to support this? I want them to succeed, as I am trying to do so now.  Being a student again will help me be a better teacher--not just because of the content, but because I am going walking the learning walk myself.

Listen to Your Heart

Everyone has passions and interests that guide them. Clearly, mine are books, teaching, shoes, writing, and learning. But sometimes it's a struggle to carve out a path for myself. There are so many great people in the world doing great things. What can I do that has not been done? These innovators and thinkers inspire me.


I woke up this morning to read before the sun was up. Three books called for my attention. One of them was What You Know By Heart by Katie Wood Ray, an amazing writer, teacher, speaker, and all-around inspirational person.

I met Katie Wood Ray at the TCTELA Conference in San Antonio.
Remember: Authors are "rockstars" to me.

I opened to the title  page and read the autograph she'd signed to me. I'd forgotten all about it. I was really glad I read it today. It came in handy.

She wrote: "Always listen to your heart."

Writers, you never know just how much power your words have.

I don't know the answers all the time. But eventually, the ideas come, and I try them out in my own flawed way. I take one little step and then two big steps. I get close to a new goal and look back. Sometimes there are people ahead of me. Sometimes there's no one around. And this morning I just decided to keep going with what I've been doing: reading, writing, blogging, learning, teaching, sharing what I can, collaborating, and continuing my 2nd trip to grad school. (Don't worry! I made it successfully through the first one. I'm just going back for another!) I do these things because I believe in the power of literacy for all people--but especially for young readers.

I read that note, reread the book, and decided I'd continue on the path I have set for myself. I'm not sure where it will lead, but I know no one else has taken my path---because it's mine. And I will do what only I can do.

ALA WRAP-UP

I met some of my favorite authors at ALA in Anaheim. These authors have become my co-teachers. I bring their books into my classroom and share them, and they become my teaching tools. Without them, I couldn't teach writing or show the power of story! Here are a few of the authors I met!

Here I am with Kazi Kibuishi. He writes the Amulet series of graphic novels. I can never have enough copies of those in my classroom. (I told him that.) They're very exciting! My students will be so amazed that I met him. (P.S. Graphic novels get kids reading!)

Smile is a very popular book in my classroom. It is read and reread over and over again! So I had a BIG SMILE when I met the author, Raina Telgemeier. (Sorry about the picture. I'm not sure why it's in a checkerboard pattern or why it's so dark! Strange! But it's the only one I have so it's going up!)

I tweeted a lot this spring about the super special book, The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. When I read this book aloud, my students hung on my every word. My students really connnected with this novel-in-verse, and Ivan, the main character in the book (silverback gorilla) won our hearts.  Our first author Skype was with the awesome Katherine Applegate, so she'll always have a place in my teacher heart. Can you tell how excited I am in this picture?

I also met Sharon Creech. I waited in line for her, and that was fine! She wrote LOVE THAT DOG, which inspired my kids to write poetry. . VOLUNTARILY. AT RECESS. JUST FOR FUN. I owe her a debt I cannot pay. I'm a little calmer in my pic with her. I think it's because I was nervous. But she was so gracious! She even took a picture of me and put it on HER blog. LOVE THAT SHARON CREECH. (I'll be blogging about her upcoming release THE GREAT UNEXPECTED in a future post.)

And for my final pic, I have a question for you. Have you read WONDER yet? If you haven't, I highly recommend it. It's a book about a boy with severe facial deformities who attends school for the first time. The book's theme is: CHOOSE KIND, and it's become a national campaign. My friend and I met RJ Palacio, and we chatted about how this book has resonated with so many.


"Authors are my rock-stars". I saw that quote on a t-shirt once, and it is definitely true for me. They craft words and sentences together into books that help me connect with my students. With their work, authors make it possible for my students to become lifelong readers -- and that is why I am SO very happy to meet them.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's summer time, and it's Monday. It's also when I join Jen and Kellee over at Teach Mentor Texts in their weekly meme to share book titles. Hopefully, you'll find a little something here that you can keep for yourself!

I read SWAY at the beginning of the week. It's a middle grade written by Amber McRee Turner. Set in the south, it's the story of a girl whose mother is away as she serves on a rescue team. But as with most family stories, things aren't as they seem. The main character-- Cass--is a sweet girl who's just trying to figure things out. Her dad does his best, and the story is really about their journey together as a daughter and father. It's not a story of quick events. It's more about characters and moments. It reminded me a bit of Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles.

I also read UNDER THE MESQUITE by Guadalupe Garcia McCall.

I met the author at the YA Coffee Klatch at ALA but hadn't read her book. I

quickly corrected that. I was so moved by this story that I reread it right afterwards. This is a novel-in-verse about a young girl from a Mexican family struggling in the United States. We hear her dreams, we experience her family's hardships, and we hope with her as she perseveres. Of course, this book also won the Pura Belprè Author Award for 2012 and was a finalist for the William C. Morris Award (debut book published by a 1st time author writing for teens). I picked up the ARC for Garcia McCall's next book: Summer of the Mariposas. I can't wait to read it!

I also read these titles:

CAPTURE THE FLAG by Kate Messner

DRAMA by Raina Telgemeier (ARC)

GUYS READ: THE SPORTS PAGES by Jon Scieszka (ARC)

SINISTER SWEETNESS OF SPLENDID ACADEMY by Nikki Loftin (ARC)

LIGHTS OUT by Arthur Geisert (picture book)

THE LONELY BEAST by Chris Judge (picture book)

( I'll write more about the ARCs as we get closer to the release date. The rest will be future blog posts or tweets!)

This week I am reading:

CHAINED by Lynne Kelly (A Texan!)

THE REVOLUTION OF EVELYN SERRANO by Sonia Marzano (ARC)

There are so many good books to choose from these days. I'm sometimes indecisive about my next selection. I know when I pick up a book if it's the right time to read it or not. Grad work also fills my days. I reward myself with a book after a finished goal (completed paper, studying for an amount of time, etc.). Somehow, I've managed to hold my own on #bookaday and #summerthrowdown. It's constant reading, but it's what I love to do.

I hope you're reading a book you love!

My Newbery/Caldecott Moments

Some of the best moments in my life have started with books. 

This great moment in particular began in December as my students and I had been reading and discussing the Newbery and Caldecott awards. We held an ad hoc Mock Caldecott (though I didn't know enough to call it that) and had some great discussions about the awards and their history. Some students felt very strongly about one title or the other. I brought in books I'd heard about on Twitter. I searched every library and bookstore in my area for the books we even THOUGHT might have a chance. There was a lot of speculation as the award announcement approached, and I used the suspense to build excitement in my classroom about reading and books as a whole. (Other teachers/librarians did this much better than I did, and they've been doing it for  a while. I know what to improve for next year.) We read these books and more:

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
Grandpa Green by Lane Smith
Me. . Jane by Patrick McDonnell
Blackout by  John Rocco
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

We enjoyed every book and though they couldn't all win, they each enriched our little reading community. We could use the books as benchmarks in our class history, and it was really wonderful to hear my students having discussions about the books at lunch or on the playground. (Through this, I secretly taught my curriculum standards such as summarization, characterization, cause and effect, evaluation, etc. But don't tell my students that.)

So when my school librarian said she was attending the announcement of the Youth Media Awards at ALA Midwinter and invited me to come along, it took me less than a second to say, "YES!"

I sat in the auditorium and could feel the sense of anticipation. After all, I had vivid memories of  my students' discussions swirling around in my very happy brain.
The announcements came one by one. Some titles were entirely new to me. Some were not. (I added several books to Goodreads that day.) My brief time in that auditorium was a year of education for me. I was in an unfamiliar world--I hadn't heard of some of the books. But I did know that good books "grow" readers--and I love putting good books in the hands of my students. I also LOVE books.

And so the winners were:

Caldecott Award 2012
A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka
Published by Random House Childen's Books

Newbery Award 2012
Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

(Of the books we'd read in class, three won Caldecott Honor Awards: Blackout by John Rocco, Me. . Jane by Patrick McDonnell, and Grandpa Green by Lane Smith. Wonderstruck was one of two books that won the Schneider Family Book Award for Middle School -Ages 8-13. I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen was named a Theodor Geisel Honor Book. )
 Here I am at the announcements:

I joined ALA shortly thereafter.

The entire experience came full circle for me as I attended the ALA Conference in Anaheim last week and happily went to the Newbery Caldecott Banquet. I'm a teacher--not a librarian--but this moment was still so special for me.  I took it all in with open eyes and heart, still incredulous that I was there. (I can't WAIT to share the experience with my students when we return to school.)

Here's the program.
It's my souvenir of the night!

I was in the back of the room, sitting at a table with people I didn't know. But we all had something in common: a love of books. We introduced ourselves and soon our conversation became effortless.

It was a privilege to listen to the speeches by Jack Gantos and Chris Raschka. I took pictures, ate, laughed, made new friends, and all the while thought of my students back home in Texas. The conversations we shared about Caldecott and Newbery books rang in my ears. It was almost like they were there with me. This was fitting: after all, these books were written for them.

As I joined my fellow banquet-goers in applause and cheers at the end of the night, I looked around the room filled with famous authors, publishers, and librarians and I asked myself: "How was it that I came to be here?" The answer came quickly.

It all started with books.

At the banquet before the awards.
P.S. I wore black pumps for the event. And they were new.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Every Monday I join Jen and Kellee over at Teach Mentor Texts. We share our reading for the previous and upcoming weeks. I enjoy taking part in this meme because I love to see what everyone else is reading.

What I've read:
This past week I read one picture book I bought at ALA:

Bawk and Roll by Tammi Sauer and Dan Santat
Published: 4/3/12
Publisher: Sterling Children's Books
It's a follow-up to Chicken Dance. It's a fun picture book about chickens who are back-up singers for an Elvis. Very funny!


At ALA I also bought and read the second book to the Blogtastic! Series by Rose Cooper:

Rumors from the Boys' Room by Rose Cooper
Published: 10/11/11
Published by: Random House Children's Books
The third book to this series is released on July 10th.

(I also finished two ARCs; I'll be posting those titles closer to their release dates.)

What I am reading now:
This week, besides reading very informative articles for my grad class, I am reading:

Sway by Amber McRee Turner
Published: 5/15/12
Published by: Disney Hyperion

It's a middle grade novel about about a girl named Cass whose mother is away from home a lot. It's set in the South and there are some very interesting characters in this one.  It is reminding me of Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles (a favorite of mine).

I'll also be reading Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall.
I was honored to meet the author at the YA Coffee Klatsch at ALA in Anaheim. She won the Pura Belprè Author Award for Under the Mesquite in 2012.  It was also a finalist for the William C. Morris Award. Garcia McCall is an English teacher in Texas, and it was a pleasure to meet her and discuss her book. I was inspired by her story and her enthusiasm.

What have you been reading? Have you read any of these titles?