It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

On Mondays, I ask this question: What are YOU reading?
But first, I always answer the question for myself. Thanks to Jen and Kellee over at Teach Mentor Texts for hosting this meme.

Teachers all over the country (including me) were off for the holidays last week, so many (we) had more time to read. We faithfully tended to our TBR piles, and as a result, finished books and discussed them on Twitter.

I joined in the fun! I also was on a mission: complete my 2012 Goodreads Challenge.
I had quite a few to go last week, so I got to work.

I read 15 chapter books, 2 graphic novels, and 32 picture books.
Here are the some of the books I loved!

SUMMER AND BIRD by Katherine Catmull

I really hadn't heard much about this book from any of my fellow Nerdy Book Club members, but everything about the title and the cover made me want to read the book. As I read the first few pages, I began to get a feel for the type of book it was: fairy-tale and very imaginative. Two sisters have lost their parents, and they enter a bird world to find them. They meet many unique characters along the way, and the situations are fantasy-filled and very intriguing. Pay attention to the details in this book. Everything means something! It made me think and wonder. (I'm definitely still processing this one.)

BUTTER by Erin Jade Lange (YA)
This novel reminded me somewhat of SKINNY by Donna Cooner. A teen struggles with his weight, his family life, and school. He desires popularity & a pretty girl desperately, so he sets a very unwise plan in motion. I reaad this one fairly quickly. It's modern and fast-moving.

 ALMOST HOME by Joan Bauer (YA)
A girl and her mother struggle to find their place in the world. There's a cute puppy involved, and Sugar (the main character) is motivated and positive. It's a heartwarming story, but it's also realistic. I want to read more Joan Bauer books. (I loved CLOSE TO FAMOUS, too.)

I also managed to read another Newbery winner:
JACOB HAVE I LOVED by Katherine Paterson. It is YA, and a quick read. It's about a girl who competes with her for the attention and focus in the family. It's also a story of hardship and determination.

Other books  I read were:
THE MYSTERIOUS HOWLING (INCORRIGIBLE CHILDREN OF ASHTON PLACE BOOK 1) by MaryRose Wood (Great series!)
SCHOOLED by Gordon Korman
ONE YEAR IN COAL HARBOR by Polly Horvath
A PERFECT TIME FOR PANDAS by Mary Pope Osborne (I recommended this one to my students.)
SURPRISE ISLAND (Boxcar Children) by Gertrude Chandler Warner (Love this one!)
AMULET 3: CLOUD SEARCHERS by Kazu Kibuishi
AMULET 4: THE LAST COUNCIL by Kazu Kibuishi
(Both are graphic novels and both are excellent!)


Thanks to the time off, and the nonstop supply of books, I was able to meet my Goodreads challenge! I read 600 books in 2012 with one day left over. I will use this day (today) to decide upon my 2013 goal, and yes, read.

I hope to read these titles this week: (Both YA)
A WRINKLE IN TIME: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL by Hope Larson
CODE NAME VERITY by Elizabeth Wein

I'm trying to find identify my book gap right now. That will be part of what I do in my 2013 reading life.

What are YOU reading this week?

Shoe choices today: My new Nike running shoes for #runteacherrun AND then my cowgirl boots again to ring in the New Year!

My Picture Book Faves

I started my blog over a year ago. I knew it was something I needed to do--as a teacher, learner, and writer. At first, I thought it would be about teaching. But then I just couldn't help myself: the books had to be shared.

In a year where I read more books than I ever had before, I recorded many of the titles here. I read picture books, middle grades, and YA. I discovered new authors and reaffirmed my admiration for the known authors who have always been a part of my classroom. I even had the privilege of meeting some of them this year. I cannot thank them enough for their work and dedication to children's literature.

It seems that many of  my fellow Nerdy Book Club bloggers are posting these end-of-the-year pieces, so I will do the same. Please forgive the predictability of this. For me, it is new.

I read many picture books in 2012, but here are the ones I name as my top picks:

FICTION:

Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
This books is a really clever story. My class loved it. We loved the characters, and it gave us lots of great points to discuss.

 

 

C.R. Mudgeon by Leslie Muir and Julian Hector
This is a story about being friends with people who are different from you. Paprika and C.R. Mudgeon couldn't be more opposite. I loved the message of this book.

 

This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
It's no secret. I WANT MY HAT BACK was such a fave of of mine in 2011! I think I carried it around everywhere expecting to book talk it at any minute. THIS IS NOT MY HAT is also wonderful. My students voted this one as our Mock Caldecott winner!

 

Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri
Funny, funny book! My students adored it, too. We all wanted to eat tacos afterward. We still do. It was  Mock Caldecott Honor book in 4A.

Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman and Dan Yaccarino
A personal fave, but also my students' fave. It's a story about friendship that is fun to listen to and even more fun to read. I wear my "Affirmative!" wristband every day! Ame Dyckman is such a talent!!

goodreads.com

 

The Monsters' Monster by Patrick McDonnell
Get a copy of this one, too! Some monsters decide to create their own monster, but things don't turn out like they planned. So cute! So sweet! I had to check it out from the library, but I will be buying my own copy soon--next time I'm at the bookstore (which will probably be today).

goodreads.com

 

 

Unspoken by Henry Cole

I read this at ALA in the summer. It took my breath away. Henry Cole is such an amazing artist and storyteller. Take a close look at every page. Infer and draw conclusions!! It is BRILLIANT.

 



NONFICTION:

goodreads.com

 

Looking at Lincoln by Maira Kalman
I loved the way this author told us all about Abraham Lincoln! Great book!

 

Plant Hunters by Anita Silvey (along with a QR Code I made for a video of Anita Silvey talking about the book)
This is a very engaging nonfiction book about people who did risky things to find and collect plants. I learned a lot from this one. I used it in a presentation to show the ways teachers could use a QR Code as a supplement in reader's workshop.



Fifty Cents and a Dream by Jabari Asim and Bryan Collier
This book tells an amazing story of determination. The story is about Booker T. Washington, and what he did in order to be able to go to school! It's very inspiring and well-told, and watch the illustrations on this one, too. They speak text in their own way.

goodreads.com

Here Come the Girl Scouts By Shana Corey and Hadley Hooper
I'm a former Girl Scout, so this book holds a special place in my heart. Well-written and very inspirational!

These are books I'll remember the most. It would be impossible for me to name all of the books I loved, so I hope I am forgiven if I've left any out.

In tomorrow's post, I will list the middle grades and YA novels I especially loved this year.

Which picture books would be on your 2012 list?

P.S. Today, I'm wearing my cowgirl boots. They're perfect for just about everything. Except running. ;-)

Note to Self: Clean Out Closet!

This holiday season is going by quickly. So many things I want to do! Organize my study, clean out my closets, etc., etc. I'll also do some lesson planning, and probably learn a lot of good things on Twitter, too.

But I think the best gift I will give myself this break is getting to know myself as a reader again. I have the time to stay up late, read all night, explore the library, go to the bookstore (again), abandon books, reread books, etc., etc.

Although I do read during the school year, I don't have the time to reflect or see where my reading is taking me.

Yes, I will have the time to respond to books in my notebook, try out a new genre, take up a colleague on that book recommendation, and weed out my personal library. I will have the time to look at my "book gaps" and meet them. I'll have the time to look back at the reading I've done and pat myself on the back for it, or promise to do better. I'll reaffirm some reading commitments (Newbery/Caldecott Challenge), complete my reading challenge*, and set a new reading goal for 2013.

Another plus?  I will have the luxury of going to the bookstore and library in the same day. THAT is a gift.

Yes, I'll organize that study, and those closets will get cleaned out. (THAT will be a lot of work.)

But first, I'll do some reading.

*As of this post, I am 11 books away from completing my 2012 Goodreads Challenge for number of books read. Back on Jan. 1st, 2012, I set 600 books as my goal. I'm almost there, and I won't stop.

*Also, I took the time to order myself a pair of black sparkly Toms slip-ons. I know myself as a shoe-shopper, too. ;-)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

On Mondays, I join Jen and Kellee at their blog Teach Mentor Texts. Here, we share the books we've read over the past week, and we also list the books we plan to read. Thank goodness for this meme. It helps me stick to a blogging schedule!

Well, since my class is over, and I am on winter break along with my students, I have a lot more time to read. This works our perfectly because I have a lot of BOOKS to read.
Sequels to favorite first installments. Nerdy Book Club Award nominees. Young Adult books everyone's been raving about. Upcoming titles that are future favorites!

But before I make any plans, I should give you the rundown of the books I added to my READ shelf. These added titles were the result  of lots of trips to the circulation desk at our library. Each morning, I'd stack the books on a table in my classroom, and then, like clockwork, my students were drawn to the stack, too. They read the titles first and gave me little book talks about each one. It was unplanned, but totally wonderful.

Here are the Goodreads pics of the  books I read last week:



 



(I read BOY 21 last week, but I left it in the pic to remind everyone to read it! It's so good!)

I know the pics are small, so here is the breakdown:

Picture Book faves:
DINOSAUR VS. SANTA by Bob Shea
HOW DO DINOSAURS SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS? by Jane Yolen
FLETCHER AND THE SNOWFLAKE CHRISTMAS  by Julia Rawlinson
BUNNY CHRISTMAS: A FAMILY CELEBRATION by Rick Walton
I'M NOT SANTA!  by Jonathan Allen
THE SNOWMAN by Raymond Briggs
HOME FOR BIRD by Philip C. Stead

I checked all of these books out, but I'd buy every one of them. I'd been wanting to read A Home for Bird for a while, so that was one of my book treasures yesterday!

GRAPHIC NOVELS:
TEEN BOAT! by Dave Roman (YA)
DORK DIARIES #5 TALES FROM A NOT-SO-SMART MISS-KNOW-IT-ALL By Rachel Renee Russell. This was a gift from a 5th grader (former student). How awesome is that? Kids buying ME books!)

CHAPTER BOOKS:
SPRINKLES AND SECRETS by Lisa Schroeder (Loved it! Recommended by student)
SOUNDER by William H. Armstrong (Part of my Nerdbery Challenge. Wow! The writing in this book is powerful!)
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ME by Karen Rivers (YA & entertaining, but also very touching as it is also the story of a family living with autism.)


WHAT I WANT TO READ:
INSURGENT by Veronica Roth
And a whole bunch more! I usually don't know what I will read until I pick up the book.

Throughout the next two weeks I will read to meet my challenge*, and I'll also take part in Holiday Bookaday, reading as much as the holidays and life allow.

*Goodreads Challenge update: Now only 17 books away from 600, I have read 583 titles in 2012.

What are YOU reading?

Our Very Own Mock Caldecott

I love reading picture books to my class. They're great for writing lessons and reader's workshop. Plus they're just fun!

In particular, I've been very interested in the Caldecott winners.

 After I attended the Youth Media Awards last January, I became very interested in both the Caldecott and Newbery books. (Though I'm working slowly, I'm trying to read all of the winners on both lists--which I know will take me FOREVER.)

This year, I read some 2012 picture books to my class. My students loved them, so I thought I'd have a Mock Caldecott in my class this year. I'd heard about it on Twitter, but really had no model to follow. Here's how it worked:

First, my students did some research on the award itself. Then we explored our library for previous winners. I had my students come back and share their research with the class. Then I asked them if they'd like to have a Mock Caldecott, and they shouted with an eager "Yes!!" I had them figure out how we should go about the process.

First, they chose 12 titles for consideration. I'm including my students' comments about each book:

Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman & Dan Yaccarino

• "People love the pictures and the book!"

This is Not My Hat  by Jon Klassen

• "The pictures are creative & show texture."

Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds & Peter Brown

• "These carrots were creepy."

C.R. Mudgeon by Leslie Muir & Julian Hector

• "We like how the pages show the difference between the two characters."

Homer by Elisha Cooper

• "The illustrations were wonderful!"

Hello! Hello! by Matthew Cordell

• "The pictures are bright and vibrant."

Seed by Seed by Esme Raji Codell and Lynne Rae Perkins

• "We like how the pictures take the reader from the past to the present and back again!"

Dragons Love Tacos by Daniel Rubin and Adam Salmieri

• "We thought this book was very funny."

The Insomniacs by Karina Wolf and The Brothers Hilts

•  "The pictures are dark and cool."

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems

• "When we read this book to our kinder friends, they noticed things we didn't."

Duckling Gets a Cookie by Mo Willems (Please notice he had TWO titles on our list!)

• "This book is so fun!"

One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo and David Small

• "This book didn't have many colors but that's why it was great."

I paired everyone up, and they drew for book titles. Each pair created a presentation for the class that would "sell" their book. These were great to watch! My students made wonderful observations about the books. For example, they noticed that in some of the books EYES told the story (the Mo Willems titles and This Is Not My Hat). Awesome!

A student created and printed a ballot, and then everyone (except me) voted.

I tabulated the results and announced them on Edmodo.

So, here are the winners!

4A's Mock Caldecott Award goes to:

The Honors winners were:

and:

Throughout the process, my students were planning, thinking critically, collaborating, and problem-solving. I enjoyed watching them work together towards a common goal. It wasn't perfect, but we ALL learned something. I was so proud of my class!

At the end of the day, I realized something. I didn't need someone else's model anymore. I could follow my own!

Which book would be your winner?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! I'm joining my friends Jen and Kellee for a reading roundup on their blog:  Teach Mentor Texts.

These are the books I read this week. With my grad class over for the semester, I had a bit more reading time (which was WONDERFUL)!

I was so excited to read the following books:

HOMER  by Elisha Cooper (A picture book I kept hearing about, but could never find. I finally got my hands on a copy and I loved it!)
THE CHRISTMAS QUIET BOOK by Deborah Underwood (I loved this sweet book about all the different types of quiet you hear at the holidays!)
ISLAND: A STORY OF THE GALAPAGOS ISLAND by Jason Chin (Excellent nonfiction told in narrative form. )

I also enjoyed reading these chapter books:
THE UNWANTEDS by Lisa McMann (middle grade)
BOY 21 by Matthew Quick (YA)

My book total is now at 529. Only 71 books away from 600! (I'm giving this info to my students and having them use division to figure out how many books I need to read per day.)

I'm ESPECIALLY excited about the upcoming winter break because I have many books waiting for me. I am between grad school semesters, and, thus, I will basically read all day & all evening.

What are you reading this week?

Silence For Sandy Hook

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading? I'm asking the question along with Jen and Kellee over at Teach Mentor Texts! I join them every Monday in this meme.

Here's what I read this week!

It was the last week of my grad class, so with two assigments due, I stuck to picture books. My middle grade chapter books are waiting! I'm halfway through THE UNWANTEDS by Lisa McMann, and I am loving it!


My two favorites were:

FIFTY CENTS AND A DREAM by Jabari Asim (illustrated by Bryan Collier)

Wow! That's what I said to myself as I read this book. I turned the pages and noticed brilliant things Bryan Collier had done with the illustrations. Booker T. Washington's story of perseverance resonated with me. I was inspired, and thought that this nonfiction book was superbly done. I will be coming back for more and plan to reread this again and again. I can see it addressing so many aspects of writing. Still thinking about it!

Give yourself a holiday gift and buy your own copy.

DRAGONS LOVE TACOS by Adam Rubin (illustrated by Daniel Salmieri)

I'm about to help you spend your money again! DRAGONS LOVE TACOS is funny and clever,  and it's one I will use in Writer's Workshop for circular leads and endings. It's great for elaboration, too. It's got a little surprise that made it a very smart book in my opinion! I immediately recommended it to my librarian.

This week I will finish THE UNWANTEDS, and then pick up something else from my TBR piles such as:  

• Boy 21 by Matthew Quick  OR
• Cloak Society by Jeramey Kraatz

Either way, the fact that I can sit and read without worrying about an assignment is truly wonderful (I finished my semester yesterday). Before I started back to grad school, I think I took reading time for granted! Like my pair of cheetah print slippers that are always around, I thought I would never have to hunt for my reading time. Now I know that if I have an hour to read each day (or more), I have something that's worth so much.

I'm off to read now! I have read 510 books toward my 2012 Challenge of 600 books. My students think I can do it! I can't let them down.

What are you reading?

Bake A Cake/Write A Paper

One of the very necessary components of graduate school is the writing of the papers! Though they all have various titles & topics, they require the following:

First, the writer (me) must READ.
Then, the writer (also me) must THINK.
Next, the writer (me again) must PLAN.
After, the writer (a little tired now, but still me) must WRITE.
Also, the writer (yes, me) must REVISE.
Finally, the writer must EDIT.

HOWEVER, eventually all of the above steps get jumbled, rearranged, and if I expected to just follow the checklist and be done, I'd be very disappointed.

Writing isn't a procedure. It isn't like the directions on the cake mix box. Sometimes the writing mix calls for more thinking, less planning, and a bigger spoonful of revision.

Why can I speak with some assurance about baking a cake? I can do so because I have baked a cake before! How would I know about writing? It's because I have written before!

No matter how much I read about HOW to bake a cake, or listen to someone TELL me how to bake a cake, I won't KNOW how to bake a cake unless I BAKE myself.

It's the same thing with writing. The act of writing itself (by me, the teacher) helps me write better and better each time and helps me understand my students' needs as writers. What does your story need? A little more flavor! (Details) How can we make sure the sentence is just right? Work with it some more because it's not done! (Needs to bake some more.)

Another interesting note: when I follow the cake mix directions, I--for the most part---- get a cake that looks the same every time.

(But when I follow my own unique writing process, I never know what I'll get!)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday, and I'm joining Jen and Kellee in their Monday meme on their blog: Teach Mentor Texts. In this meme, teachers and librarians share their weekly reading.

Here's what I read this week:

 

 

 

Yes, I got serious about my reading. 

 

My favorites:

 

BOOK LOVE by Penny Kittle (professional development)

This book makes so many great points about the importance of students AND teachers having a "reading life". I highly recommend it for any teacher who cares about WHAT and HOW MUCH and IF their students read!

 

EVERY DAY  by David Levithan (Young Adult)

This is a great young adult book about an incredible happening--that keeps happening. I couldn't put it down. I read it during a very busy week at school. I stayed up late reading it. David Levithan is an amazing writer.

 

CREEPY CARROTS by Aaron Reynolds (Peter Brown, illustrator)

It's a fun story that my students loved! It's one of my new favorites.

 

A BALLOON FOR ISABEL by Deborah Underwood

This isn't a new book, but I just discovered it by pulling books out randomly from shelves. Isabel is a porcupine who thinks creatively! I loved it and I can't wait to buy my own copy. (It was on the Texas 2 X 2 Master List for 2011 compiled by the Texas Library Assocation. Thanks to Melanie for that info!)

 

I'm glad I got a lot of reading done this week. I think a goal really moves me forward.With the end of the year FAST approaching, it's important to look back and reflect. But I still have time to get some things done. I still can bring change, produce something, or cause an effect. Just because the end of the year is here doesn't mean I sit back and wait for it to come.

 

I will also ask my students to reflect and make their own plan for moving forward, both in their reading and their learning. And then we will see together what we can do!

 

My 2012 reading goal is 600 books. So far, I have read 487.

 

I have 28 days. 

 

I can do this.