BLOG TOUR: WIG IN THE WINDOW by Kristen Kittscher

 

 

Today, my blog is a stop in the WIG IN THE WINDOW blog tour! On this type of tour, books make a stop at a "location" for readers to peruse. No tickets are needed, and if you want to visit the book again, you can!

 

 

THE WIG IN THE WINDOW by Kristen Kittshcher
Published by: HarperCollins
Publication date: June 18, 2013
Pages: 368

Friendships are so important to us, but ESPECIALLY when we're young and ESPECIALLY as we grow into becoming who we were meant to be, and when we're learning all about ourselves and becoming more and more independent.

In THE WIG IN THE WINDOW, Sophie and Grace are twelve-years old and best friends. Grace is homeschooled and Sophie is  making her way through Luna Vista Middle School. Along the way, they conduct midnight spy missions in their neighborhood and go on stakeouts.  They have walkie talkies and flashlights and use words like "Roger" and "check" and "standard procedure". One night they come across a very scary scene at the home of the school counselor, and from that point on, trouble and adventure ensue! What really happened? What did they overhear? What did they see? What is the real story behind this mysterious counselor? It's a mystery with secret codes, trespassing, and a suspicious blue car that seems to be everywhere! Sophie narrates the story and takes us through her classes, lunch table angst, and relationships with family and fellow seventh graders. Trista Bottoms, a classmate and very interesting and clever character also joins in. The plot takes us through a crazy set of turns and plot twists, and as Sophie shares her thinking, the reader is also trying to figure everything out and being entertained along the way, too. Sophie and Grace are smart and adventurous characters who get themselves in many sticky situations!

A WIG IN THE WINDOW is a suspenseful, fast and funny mystery perfect for middle school readers or older. Kristen Kittscher is a VERY talented writer, skilled at crafting humor and realistic dialogue into a very witty plot that keeps you reading and guessing.

I don't want to give any spoilers, so read the book to see how it all turns out! And make sure you visit the other stops on this blog tour, too!

How I Organize My Classroom Library

We're nearing the end of the year, and, as this post is published, I will slowly begin taking down my classroom to begin a new and very exciting journey.

But as I start to pull down items and pack them up, an email from a friend has me thinking about my classroom library. My friend, also a 4th grade teacher, recently asked me how my library was organized. As I typed my email response, I thought I would share it here. It is, after all, the last classroom library I will ever set up.

First, I buy clear plastic shoeboxes which are available at most stores for dollar or a little over. (I save the lids for later.)

Next, I apply labels I have printed. I buy labels (nametags) that go with my theme. I use these categories:

• historical fiction
• mysteries
• realistic fiction
• Texas Bluebonnet Award nominees (past and present)
• Newbery Medal
• Caldecott Medal
• humor
• animal fiction
• fantasy
• adventure
• classics
• school/friendship
• graphic novels (right now I have 6 boxes of these)
• Series (39 Clues, Infinity Ring, Lightning Thief, Boxcar Children, Magic TreeHouse, Weird School series, Lemony Snicket, Babymouse, Lunch Lady, Big Nate, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and more!)
• By author: (Sharon Creech, Kirby Larson, Andrew Clements, Jenni Holm, Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, C.A. London, Peg Kehret, and more!. )

(Picture books have their own display shelf that is separate and just as prominent in our classroom.)
My categories/genres have changed each year with each class, and with the new offerings each year, adjustments are necessary. I retire some genres/categories, and multiply others (i.e. graphic novels). I keep up with what's available, I read everything I can, and I pay attention to what my students are bringing in to read on their own. Eventually, a student will ask if they can put together a box for class favorites. I don't ever have to bring this up. It's true that as my students grow in their ability/tastes, we work together to curate OUR collections. Yes, it's a classroom library filled with worn paperbacks, and food-stained pages ;-) , but to my 4th graders and me, these books have become the basis for rich discussion, interaction, collaboration, and connections.

I will have to pack up this classroom library very soon. And now that I have written this post, I realize that I learned so much from it--and that this learning will serve me well in my new destination!

This is my BEFORE picture.  (As I sorted the stacks, I slowed down my own work because I stopped to read favorite books I hadn't seen in awhile.)


This is the AFTER. But as the year progresses, things DO get moved around a bit!
 

 

 

How do you organize your classroom library? (Notice I didn't talk at all about checkouts! That's for another post!)

 

Review: RUMP: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin

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RUMP: THE  TRUE STORY OF RUMPELSTILTSKIN by Liesl Shurtliff

Published: 4/9/13
Published by: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

I am forever looking for good middle grade books.  And I know a few other #nerdybookclub friends who are always on the hunt for MG, too. So when a few of my friends were on Twitter last weekend tweeting about RUMP: THE TRUE STORY OF RUMPELSTILTSKIN, I knew I needed to read it for myself. I got a copy and immediately started reading. And, immediately, I was hooked. I read it in one day!  (An early summer #bookaday!)

The story grabbed me from the very beginning. Rump lives in The Village, by The Mountain, and in The Kingdom. His mother died right after he was born, and she did so before saying his entire name. So for the entirety of his very short life, he's been known to all as Rump, and he's teased about it often. Raised by his poor grandmother and under the oppressive rule of King Barf, Rump has lived a hard life. But he knows there's more to his mother's story, and when he discovers some magic, he sets out on a journey to learn more about his mother's past and his destiny and save himself from an inescapable dilemma.

Rump is the backstory to a fairy tale, and with interesting characters such as pixies, trolls, and gnomes, reading this story is one fantastic adventure! It is a page-turner, exciting and suspenseful, and even though you might know the fairy tale, this book will make you feel like you are hearing it all for the first time.

Have you read this book?

Review: Waiting for the Magic

WAITING FOR THE MAGIC by Patricia MacLachlan
Published: 9/30/2011
Published by: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

I'm so excited about our Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List for 2013-2014! The list is full of good titles--which makes it a great source for summer reading.

One of the titles on this amazing list is WAITING FOR THE MAGIC by Patricia MacLachlan. In my opinion, Patricia MacLachlan wrote the most perfect sentences in SARAH PLAIN TALL (winner of the Newbery Medal in 1986), and I love rereading this book every year. (With each new group of students, I do my best to make sure this book gains new fans!)

WAITING FOR THE MAGIC is also about a family going through a tough time (just like Sarah Plain and Tall). In this book, Papa has left his family to go off to write, and in the transition, Mama takes the kids to adopt a pet, but comes home with more than one. As the children adapt without Papa, the pet(s) help the family with the sadness, acceptance and rebuilding that happens. The children are adorable, and you grow to love every pet, too. There IS magic in this book, and there is lots of love, too.  Families with love create magic every day!

Does Papa return? What is the magic? How does love bind a family together? You must read this book to find out!

I can't wait to recommend this book to my students -- present and future!

Have you read this book? What other Patricia MacLachlan books do you recommend?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 5/20/13

It's Monday! I join Jen and Kellee over at Teach Mentor Texts in this meme as often as I can.

This week I read:

WAITING FOR THE MAGIC by Patricia MacLachlan
Published: 9/30/2011
Published by: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

This title is on our Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List for 2013-2014. I really loved it and I will review it tomorrow here.  It is heartwarming & sweet and it may make you want another pet!  

RUMP: THE  TRUE STORY OF RUMPLESTILTSKIN by Liesl Shurtliff
Published: 4/9/13
Published by: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

I read this book in one day, and I did so because a few of my Twitter friends were reading it, too. I really loved it, and I will review this one Wednesday. (It showed me how important it is to talk about books to others: that act in itself inspires more reading! 

What I'm reading now and what I will read this week:

 


I have so many good titles waiting for me, I can't make up my mind. How does a reader finally settle on ONE book to read? It is a miracle!

 I have two weeks before my next semester of grad school starts, so I am taking advantage of all of my reading time & reading every spare second! 

What are YOU reading?

A Good Thing to Do

On May 3rd, I celebrated SCHOOL LUNCH SUPERHERO DAY with my schoolwide book clubs. It was a great day and I tweeted about it several times. (Follow the #SchoolLunchSuperHeroDay hashtag to see all the tweets!)

During this time, my students lent a copy of one of the Lunch Lady books (by Jarrett. J. Krosoczka) to our cafeteria staff. We were glad to do it! They had never heard of the books.

Then the other day, I found the following note in my teacher mailbox:

Isn't this a nice note? I totally didn't expect it, and it absolutely made my day. When we share our passions, it always has an impact on others. And we never know who we will connect with. Sharing good books with people who matter to us --that's a very good thing to do!

What books will you share with your staff?

The Books Will Remain

As I sat around our classroom recently gathering my materials for the next day, I looked around at the border, posters, and objects I'd arranged in my classroom at the beginning of the year. This year, I decided to NOT put up premade displays, and instead have my students' work be the focus. I'm still glad I did that. I can see the drawings and handmade signs and smile. It was always their classroom. Not mine.

Our classroom library

 

I also see the classroom library and I remember those 3 days in July that I spent setting it all up. Arranging and rearranging. Weeding. Buying new titles. Labeling those plastic boxes. So many printings of labels! (I held up my own schedule because I often stopped to reread titles as I worked. I couldn't help myself!) Now, I look at the books and think of the students that read them over the year. I remember the first trip to the classroom library on the first day of school. And I remember the trips I made to the bookstore to fill my library. Worth every trip and every dollar.

As I pack up these books at the end of year (approaching very quickly), I will remember so much about my students, our library, and our reading.

I will remember the book talks and conversations. I will remember the excitement over new releases and the circling of Tuesdays on our school calendar. I will remember meaningful conferences with readers, the sign-up sheets for sought-after titles, and the towering book stacks on the corners of desks. I will also remember the lost books--so popular and coveted they never returned to my classroom library. (I am confident  they are with the readers who really need them.) I will remember my joy as I glanced over and saw readers with their noses in their favorite books. I will remember 5th graders walking into my classroom library to check out books, how our principal borrowed HOW TO STEAL A DOG after sitting in on a discussion, and my own faculty book clubs with fellow teachers.

The time will come to a close. The calendar will tell us the year is over. There will be no more talk around the shelves as my students decide what to read. But the books will remain in readers' hearts, and hopefully, my students will cling to their love of reading forever.

As my students and I take the next step in our life's journey, book will remain with all of us. The books will always remain.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 5/13/13

It's Monday, and it's time to look back at the reading I've done for the week. I join other teachers & librarians in this meme,  and it's hosted by my friends Jen and Kellee over at Teach Mentor Texts . 

I have a break between semesters, so I'm catching up on reading time. I am also trying to read as many of the nominees from the Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List for 2013-2014. I only need a few more.

What I read this week:

TOUCH BLUE by Cynthia Lord (See previous post for a review).
Published: 8/1/10
Published by: Scholastic Press

ABE LINCOLN CROSSES A CREEK: A TALL THINK TALE by Deborah Hopkinson; illustrated by John Hendrix
Published: 9/9/08
Published by: Schwartz and Wade

ZEBRA FOREST BY Adina Rishe Gewirtz
Published: 4/9/13
Published by: Candlewick Press

GUM GIRL! Book 1: Chews Your Destiny by Rhode Montijo  (ARC)
Publication date: 7/9/13
Published by: Hyperion Books

TUA AND THE ELEPHANT  by R.P. Harris
Published 4/8/12
Published by: Chronicle Books

What I'm reading this week:

• HERO'S GUIDE TO STORMING THE CASTLE (MG) by Christopher Healy
• ELEANOR AND PARK by Rainbow Rowell (YA)

What are YOU reading?

Review: TOUCH BLUE by Cynthia Lord

TOUCH BLUE by Cynthia Lord
Published: 8/1/10
Published by: Scholastic Press


We've all looked forward to events in our lives. Some of them turned out better than we hoped. Some of them turned out worse. Some of then turned out like nothing we ever expected.

That's what Tess experiences in this middle grade novel set in Maine. She has a great life on the island of Bethsaida, but the state of Maine wants to shut down her island school because of low attendance. So, as part of a plan to save the school, some of the families take in foster children, and Tessa's parents welcome Aaron into their home. Aaron is quiet and serious, and not at all the big brother Tess imagined. As everyone in the story tries to adjust to the change, Tess learns about herself and the importance of family. Aaron has his own lessons to learn, but he also shows Tess (and the townspeople) a little about themselves.

The writing is direct and captivating, taking you right into the heart of the story. As I read, I felt as if I were a citizen on Bethsaida watching the events play out. I was very glad to be there. I cared about the characters and wanted everyone to find their happy ending! I always do.

In TOUCH BLUE (MG), Cynthia Lord shows exactly why she is a Newbery Honor winner (for RULES in 2007). I highly recommend this title, as it came highly recommended to me from my friend in Maine who sent it to me! Thanks, Susan!

Where Do You Go?

When we're hungry, we know where to go to get fed: our kitchen, favorite restaurant, drive-thru, or grocery store deli. Carrying this analogy into the classroom, (as I tell my students), learners must know where to find information and answers to their questions.

As I drove home yesterday from a meeting with some of my National Writing Project  colleagues, I realized that the same principle applies to teachers. But I'm not just talking about professional development. For example, as teachers/educators we attend the workshops, conferences and sessions that build our knowledge and equip us. We attend the trainings and visit the websites. We talk to the experts. We also read the books (and in my case, go back to grad school for a second master's degree).

But I've realized that I need something more.

I need to interact with fellow teachers. I need to have conversations with them and exchange ideas. In those conversations, in the listening, I compare my understanding to theirs. And then I realize what I need to know, what I do know, and what my next course of action might be.

I have several places where I can get this kind of conversation. Do you know where to find it for yourself? It might be at your school with that teacher who shares a similar interest. It might be in a professional organization you joined long ago. It might be online (on Twitter) via a chat. Perhaps it comes in another form: something you will create for yourself! Wouldn't that be exciting?

I continue to find these sources of learning. Sometimes they are formal, and sometimes they are not. Ultimately, no matter what form my learning takes, my students benefit the most!

Miss Maple's Seeds by Eliza Wheeler

MISS MAPLE'S SEEDS by Eliza Wheeler

Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books

Publication date: 4/4/2013

Pages: 32

Miss Maple cares for all kinds of seeds--from poppy to pine to pumpkin. She takes them on field trips and tours,  warns them of weeds, and reads to them each night (I love that part). Birds and other neighborhood friends are part of her little community, and the story is told by way of each changing season. Miss Maple is both their teacher and their mother. With each illustration, more of Miss Maple's kind and noble character is revealed. What words of advice does Miss Maple have for her seeds? How does she guide them on their tender way? You must read MISS MAPLE'S SEEDS to find out.

Eliza Wheeler is both the writer and the illustrator of this lovely picture book, and so her gifts are double for readers. Wheeler uses warm buttery colors and Miss Maple's own joyful smile to weave a delightful tale of renewal, growth and hope for the future.

When you read this book, be sure to find the page with the seed drawings--each is labeled meticulously, inviting readers to learn and investigate further.

What more can you expect from a book? I highly recommend this title.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 5/6/13

On Mondays I join a meme called "It's Monday! What Are You Reading?" It's hosted by my friends Jen and Kellee over at Teach Mentor Texts and on Mondays it's a gathering place for teacher/librarian bloggers to share their reading for the week. You can also find these posts on Twitter via the #IMWAYR hashtag.

My classes for the semester ended this week, and even though school is super busy, I found some reading time at night. So I was able to finish some books this week:


I read:

I reviewed this one here. A very compelling read!

I love the Lunch Lady series and so do my students. My school book club celebrated School Lunch SuperHero Day on Friday. It was so fun!

Read my review in yesterday's post here.

I loved this one! I'll review it tomorrow!

This one is written by Cynthia Lord. She won a Newbery Honor Award for Rules in 2007.  This is a great book and it was also a gift from one of my very special friends in Maine (where this book is set).

This week I'm reading:

• THE HERO'S GUIDE TO STORMING THE CASTLE by Christopher Healy
• TUA AND THE ELEPHANT by R.P. Harris
• THE WIG IN THE WINDOW by Kristen Kittscher  

I must finish the Bluebonnets as soon as I can! Next year promises to be a very special school year, and this Bluebonnet list will be part of that! ;-)

What are YOU reading this week?

 

Review: Laugh With the Moon by Shana Burg

LAUGH WITH THE MOON by Shana Burg

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Publication date: 6/12/2012

Page: 256

 

Clare's mother has died, and her father (a doctor) is taking her to Malawi where he will work in a hospital. Leaving her friends and school, Clare is bitter about moving and is still very much in grief over the loss of her mother. Living in a strange place and far from the comforts of Boston, Clare must adjust to a new school (very different from her American school), a new language, and new ways of doing things (sleeping with a mosquito net, no lunch at school). She forms friendships with the local children, including a girl named Memory-- who has also suffered loss. Their bond becomes part of what gives this story its richness. While putting us right in the middle of the Mzanga Full Primary School (a very memorable part of the book for me), Shana Burg guides us beautifully through Africa by way of Clare's compelling narration. The differences in culture, language, and setting are paired with the similarities all people feel as they lose those they love.

This book is one of those books you must read non-stop and straight through. With Clare's story, and Memory's example, Shana Burg not only composed a great story for readers, but she also provides an experience that will remain long after. It brought to mind the summer in which I read ONE FOR THE MURPHYS and SMALL AS AN ELEPHANT (two other books I also recommend).

It's on the Texas Bluebonnet Master List for 2013-2014, and Shana Burg is a Texas author.  You can see why I had to read this book!

There's an author's note (Burg really did visit Malawi), glossary, and recipe at the end of this book. Don't bypass these wonderful additions; I love when authors give us treats at the end of the book!

Quick Mini-Review: ONE CAME HOME by Amy Timberlake

ONE CAME HOME by Amy Timberlake                       

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Publication date: 1/8/2013

Pages: 272

After you hear about a book from several people  (my number seems to be 3), I usually want to try it out immediately--which means an emergency bookstore trip (if I don't already have it). That's what happened with ONE CAME HOME.

Georgina lives in Wisconsin in the late 1800's (a really fascinating setting for me) and she lives with her grandfather, mother and older sister Agatha. She has a great vocabulary, and she's headstrong, but she is very much unsure of her future and what she wants out of life. She  admires sister Agatha very much.  So when Agatha becomes missing, and a funeral is held (because a body has been found with the same dress fabric), Georgina refuses to believe her sister has died. The story becomes both a mystery and a journey.

Is Agatha's sister dead or not? Georgie goes on a treacherous journey to find out. The writing reveals the sadness of life on the prairie and the main character's self-reflections. There are many good scenes ( as in one with a cougar) and the further you get, the more you want to know.

This is considered a middle grade, probably appreciated more by middle school readers.

(Also, I didn't mention the pigeons, but many of them figure into the story.)

What did you think of this book?